Exodus in Three Parts
by PowerPigeon
Summary: All Buy n Large wanted to do was give people the right to spend. Now, faced with the messy results of the consumerist revolution, they must abandon Earth and reach for the stars. A CEO gives the evacuation order, a Captain must lead his passengers, and a family copes with their new life in space.
1. Part 1

**Part 1**

 _Executive Decisions_

The common question that gets asked in business is, 'why?' That's a good question, but an equally valid question is, 'why not?'

\- Jeff Bezos


	2. Board Meeting

_2102 AD  
_

Shelby Forthright stood in his 150th floor office of the Downtown New York Buy n Large Tower, staring out the window into the brown-green sky. A look of grim determination lay on his face as he struggled to make out the buildings even two blocks down the street through the thick haze. Here he stood, the big boss, king of the world, and he was about to give the order for his people to abandon the kingdom and give in to the situation they found themselves in. It had been close to twenty years since he had taken this position, and even at that point it was clear the world was headed to the destination it had now reached. At the time, however, it had been easier to ignore. The fantastic progress that had been made over the twenty five years before had more than obscured any early warning signs,or perhaps made them easier to ignore. In 2057 when Buy n Large acquired Lockheed Martin and the rights to all of their properties, including the newly perfect LHM Nuclear Fusion Generator, the world exploded into a paradise of technological advancement and consumerism.

Within a decade poverty and disease had been eradicated from the planet. No one was starving, and everyone had a roof over their heads. BnL was well on their way to having a large-scale shopping mall within 20 miles of every person on Earth, and profits were through the roof! In 2061 BnL was in greater control of every nation on the planet than their respective governments, so naturally the people went along with the BnL Democratic Acquisition in 2063. With no more legislation to stand in its way, the corporate giant went on to develop every square inch of the planet's surface. The rapid acceleration of the urban sprawl meant that more and more land had to be reclaimed from things like farms to make space for the rapidly growing population. Fortunately scientific advancements made it possible to produce food in labs on a scale that could keep up with demand, meaning that all of the Earth's landmass could be dedicated to three things: living space, shopping space, and trash disposal.

While the issue had been brought up at board meetings for years before the time now referred to as "The Point of No Return," no one had been concerned enough to halt BnL's rapid expansion to come up with a solution. On that day in 2078 it became apparent that planet Earth would soon have a behemoth garbage problem that could only be solved by dedicating a large portion of BnL's capacity to it. The board voted to start small by creating a new subsidiary, Buy n Large Sanitation Developments, to work on creating a solution to the issue. They presented their first real idea to Shelby Forthright the day after he became CEO.

Operation Catapult proposed the creation of hundreds of thousands of high capacity rockets which would be loaded up with heaps of trash and blasted into space on a course for the sun. Minimal fuel would be required as the ships would simply drift towards the sun after they had left the Earth's gravity. Having been thrown into the head office of a company that was facing a growing number of complaints from customers due to the heaps of trash that had begun piling up in the cities, Forthright signed off on the proposal and Operation Catapult began.

Today was the day that Forthright had to tell the board of Buy n Large that Operation Catapult had failed. The large amount of trash and the rate at which it was growing due to the some 200 billion people living on the planet was too much for a few hundred thousand cargo ships to handle. He had to present a new plan, a plan that would eliminate the creation of trash temporarily in order to catch up with the backlog. The people from Sanitation Developments had created the Exodus Space Program as a contingency in case their "foolproof" Catapult plan failed, but that hadn't been expected. It involved the adaptation of the luxury starliners that were currently being tested for pleasure travel to the cosmos into arks for humanity to board and blast off from Earth to allow the planet to be cleaned up and rebuilt. After a few years in space the people would simply return and resume their lives. Simple, right?

Sighing and turning around to face his office, Forthright adjusted his trademark red tie and checked that his BnL label pin was on straight. He nodded to his assistant who was sitting to the side of the room at a holo terminal and turned to stare at the door directly in front of him. A massive holographic screen popped into existence in front of him, taking up most of the room. The display appeared to be comprised of large pixels, about one inch square, each containing a small blurry image. In reality these "pixels" were cameras feeds from each of Buy N Large's board members across the planet. Shelby cleared his throat and launched into his speech.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen of the board. Shelby here! Global CEO of Buy n Large."

All of the pixels on screen lit up green, an indication of agreement by each of the board members pressing their response keys.

"This emergency... Well, emergency is a harsh word I suppose! This, _surprise_ meeting of the board is called to order! We're here to discuss the ongoing Operation Catapult that was put into operation at the beginning of my term as CEO. I've got a few updates to share with all of you."

Shelby paused and let his eyes scan over the screen before him. It was impossible to make out the expressions of any of the individuals shown there, but he knew many of them knew what he was about to say. It was hard to ignore the ever overflowing garbage cans when they sat on your own front lawn.

"First of all, yesterday we launched rocket number 150,000! Isn't that something?" he exclaimed with his classic "car salesman" smile.

Green pixels from 90% of the screen.

"Which means we've removed abooooout... 5 billion pounds of trash so far!"

75% green.

Shelby cleared his throat again and loosed his tie slightly. "But, uh... It's not all good news. Unfortunately it looks like, uh. It looks like Operation Catapult, despite its wonderful progress so far, is unable to keep up with the rapid creation of trash we are experiencing.

No response this time, positive or otherwise.

"Luckily, the folks down at Sanitation Developments have a wonderful new program we're going to implement that will solve all of the problems we've been having as of late! I'd like to introduce to you... the Buy n Large Exodus Space Program!"

He cued a video for the attendees to view, which also gave him a moment to collect his thoughts.

All BnL had wanted to do was give everyone the right to a comfortable life, the right to luxury. The right to spend. Shelby supposed they could have acted when they saw the first signs of trouble, perhaps moved towards some more sustainable practices, but the company had shareholders to impress with ever-growing profits that wouldn't be there if they had to invest trillions into eco-friendly operations.

The introductory video had ended, and he was live again with the hundreds of people who had to help him tell 200 billion people to pack up and leave everything they had ever known.

"Now, before we move to questions, I have a few points to cover. We had foreseen some hesitation of the population to abandon their homes and move into outer space. This is why we've decided to build more of our already in progress starliners for our customers to board and take a luxury cruise for 5 years through the cosmos in order to give them the comfort they're accustomed to from Buy n Large products and programs."

A handful of pixels lit up green in approval, but the majority remained silent, still digesting the information and no doubt preparing to assault him with a barrage of inquiries.

"We estimate that an additional 5500 starliners with capacities of at least 350,000 passengers will be needed if we utilise the already under construction and in service starliners. We've had a very successful pilot program with ships like the _Axiom_ and the _Nautilus_ seeing consistent 5 star reviews from passengers who have been invited on the short Mars-Venus cruises we've been offering for the past year. This is why we believe that the luxury cruise angle is the best way to present the Exodus Space Program to the public."

Glancing down at his desk, Shelby looked over the notes he had hastily jotted down in the limo on the way to the office this morning. A printed chart showing the rising levels of toxic air within Earth's atmosphere sat to the side of the pile, with a large red line marked "NO SUPPORT FOR LIFE" marked three quarters of the way along the page. The red progress line was only a few inches from this marker. He pushed it to the side.

"We've been making great progress on our Autopilot research program, and we foresee fully automated ship control for every starliner in the BnL fleet by the time the first Exodus craft launches. In addition, our robust line of home and commercial service bots will be adapted to serve passengers aboard every vessel. This will be the most luxurious vacation any of our customers have every taken! Now... any questions?"

Instantly the entire board lit up yellow and another holo-screen popped into view directly in front of him. 372 people were waiting to ask him something and had automatically been sorted in the order they had pressed their "Inquire" buttons. Bracing himself, Shelby pressed the first name on the list, Takeshi Maeda of BnL Southeast Asia. His face expanded from its place in the grid to fill the screen.

"Mister Maeda, nice to see you!" Shelby grinned. The elderly Japanese man on screen did not return the gesture.

"Mister Forthright, I'm sure all of our associates, as well as myself, are wondering how this evacuation of the planet where we have built the most successful corporation in human history will affect our day to day operations. Can you please walk us through what we can expect our daily business to be after the last person takes leaves Earth?"

Shelby smiled. He had been worrying about this question, and he supposed it was best to get it out of the way sooner rather than later. "Great question, Mister Maeda. Since all of our customers and employees will no longer be on the planet, we will pivot our operations here to focus primarily on Operation Cleanup, which will involve the deployment of approximately 50 billion waste allocation bots in order to sort out the planet for our customers to return to after their cruises. Since this operation will primarily be automated, only myself and board members of rank C or higher will remain planetside for supervision duties and to report back to the starliner fleet. The rest of you will be temporarily removed from the board and sent on your own cruises aboard the corporate fleet."

Mister Maeda's screen descended back into the mass of faces, most of which were now highlighted red, a display of disapproval. Those who were not upset were the ones who hadn't just been told they were going to be fired soon. Shelby noticed that about 90 questions had dropped out of the queue. Hopefully they wouldn't have another issue.

"I understand this is upsetting news to many of you, but please understand that we will reinstate everyone once the planet is cleaned up and rebuilt and we can resume normal operations. We will still update you all through corporate communication channels while you enjoy yourselves in space. Now, on to the next question."

Marit Patriksson, head of marketing in the Scandinavian region, appeared on screen.

"I'd like some more information on Operation Cleanup, if you could tell us. What are the odds of success in a period of 5 years?"

Shelby continued his smile and launched into another prepared answer. "Great question Ms. Patriksson! Operation Cleanup has very good chances of success within that period of time, which we've determined to be the perfect length for both cleanup and customer enjoyment. Any shorter and Operation Cleanup might not be complete yet. Any longer and we have found that passengers begin to feel homesick."

"I see. And what are we planning to do with the "trash towers" that the waste allocation bots will create?"

Shelby nodded. "We have a large fleet of industrial incinerators that will burn the stacked trash to eliminate it from the planet."

Ms. Patriksson looked shocked. "And what about the large amounts of toxic smoke this will introduce into the atmosphere?"

Shelby sighed internally. He too was worried about this, but had somehow convinced himself it wouldn't be a problem. Some good numbers from the scientists had helped. "We have predicted that any harmful gases will dissipate fully before any passengers arrive back from their cruises. We plan to have incineration complete at least 6 months before the first starliner lands again in order for this to have plenty of time to happen."

Ms. Patriksson opened her mouth to ask another question, but Shelby glanced to his assistant quickly who caused the woman's display to drop back into the fray of pixels. "Thanks Ms. Patriksson, any other questions?"


	3. Liftoff

_April 2, 2105 AD_

Shelby Forthright's private jet touched down in Los Angeles at 7AM on April 2nd, 2105. Being escorted through the mob of reporters and camera people by a trio of intimidating security bots and two human guards, he sat down in the back of the black limo that was waiting for him on the tarmac and was whisked away towards the departure terminal of the _BnL Discovery_. Today was the day that everything changed. On the flight over he had convened with the members of the board and put into effect BnL Corporate Order E-729; the immediate removal from the board of all members below rank C and the creation of Buy n Large Operation Cleanup Command. He and eleven other executives would meet tomorrow afternoon at the newly created office in Washington, D.C. to review the progress of the billions of Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth Class units that were currently being built and deployed. The first few deliveries of bots had been made already, and had begun roaming the land compacting and stacking trash.

The limo cruised down the freeway towards the starliner that could already be seen towering over the office and apartment towers. Crowds of people stood on the sidewalks, restrained by holo-barriers and security bots, trying to get a glimpse of the most powerful man on the planet as he passed. Shelby briefly watched the people, dressed in their rebreathers and light protective outerwear. _This was the right choice_ , he thought to himself. _These people are living a hard life now, we were supposed to fix all of this. We are fixing all of this._ He pressed a button on the car's control panel and the windows turned opaque.

An hour later the corporate car arrived at the departure terminal. The _Discovery_ stood in her dock, partially obscured by the thick smog. The car pulled up to the main office and Shelby got out, pausing on the stairs to look up at the beast of a ship towering above him. This feat of engineering would be the saviour of humanity. The sight of all that had been accomplished momentarily quelled the anxieties he had been feeling since the meeting in Beijing last month. Behind closed doors he and his top staff had discussed the final stages of the Exodus Program, including the possibility that return to Earth would not be possible. It was decided that a number of safeguards would be programmed into each of the starliner's Autopilot systems, and this update had been deployed worldwide in secret. Of course, rumors had begun to spread, but the general consensus was still that the Exodus Program would be a resounding success. Shelby intended to keep it that way.

Eyes beginning to water from the harsh air outside, he quickly made his way into the building. The amount of resources that had been invested in this project, all of the nations of Earth had banded together to accomplish what they had, must mean that everything had to work out. Buy n Large, despite all the problems it had created, had turned the planet into one peaceful union. This level of cooperation had never been seen before in human history, and that would help humanity overcome this challenge. It had to.

After shaking hands with various executives and officials, smiling for photos with news reporters and bots, and pausing briefly for a drink of water, Shelby found himself standing at the bottom of a staircase with three steps that led up to a door. Through that door was the stage on which he would send off the _Discovery_ as the first Exodus ship to begin its voyage. Billions around the world would be watching on television, and thousands were here in person. He had become accustomed to speaking to large groups, it was part of the job, but this was different. This speech would set the tone for the entire evacuation, and he had to get it right. Closing his eyes and collecting his thoughts, he put on a warm smile and climbed the steps.

The stage was small, and set up at the end of a city block that had been closed off to allow the crowd to congregate. The _Discovery_ sat almost a whole mile behind it, but still dominated the sky. As Shelby waved and walked to the podium in the center of it, he waved to the cameras and people who were anxiously waiting to hear what he was about to say. Taking his place behind the microphone, he gripped the sides of the wooden pedestal. A camera hovered to a stop directly in front of him, ready to broadcast his speech worldwide.

"Thank you! Thank you all for being here today!" Shelby waved again.

The noise of the crowd began to quiet, and Shelby returned his hand to the podium, waiting for silence. After a moment, he began reciting the speech he had practiced for so many weeks.

"We have come a long way since I took the reigns of Buy n Large in 2082. In those 23 years we have cured disease, revolutionized every industry on Earth, and given everyone the right to a comfortable life!"

The crowd erupted into cheers again. Shelby could almost hear the passengers already on the ship behind him doing the same.

"In recent years, we have faced some tough times and difficult challenges, but today is the day that everything changes! We are again revolutionizing the world and giving you all the life you deserve. Behind me is the _BnL Discovery_ , our first luxury starliner to launch as part of our Exodus Space Program. Over these next few weeks each and every one of you will board your own starliner and take off towards a fabulous five year vacation amongst the stars. We here at BnL hope that you enjoy this experience as much as we have enjoyed creating it for you, and when you get back we'll have a nice clean planet for you to enjoy all over again!"

Far down the street, the _Discovery_ began to power up. The rumble of her rocket boosters could be felt even where Shelby stood. Momentarily pulled out of his train of thought, Shelby turned around to face the ship. There was no turning back now. He pivoted back around and beamed at the crowd.

"And with that, I want you all to join me in wishing the passengers and crew of the _Discovery_ 'bon voyage!' Safe travels to you all!"

He turned back to the ship and began to wave as her boosters fired. The crowd joined him and the orange jets of fire slowly caused the ship to creep upwards into the smog. After a moment the _Discovery_ had completely disappeared, and left a beam of sunlight shining down through the hole she had created in the thick layer of pollution. A chorus of delight rippled through the crowd. It had been so long since any of them had seen pure sunlight. Soon enough they'd be closer to the sun than ever before.

Shelby turned back to the mic. "Thank you all for being here today! I hope you're looking forward to your own cruises. Have a wonderful day!"

He waved again as he crossed the stage back to the door. The Buy n Large jingle played over obscured speakers as the crowd also began to filter out of the street. Shelby disappeared through the door and stepped down the stairs. Already a line of reporters had formed, prepared to pepper him with questions about the Exodus Program or pry for details about his personal life. Quickly two security bots were at his side to fend off the media vultures.

As he got back into his limo and started back towards the airport, the reality of the job ahead set in. For the next five years he and the other executives who were staying behind on Earth would be responsible for assuring that Operation Cleanup went according to plan. Cleaning up the entire planet was not an easy feat, and the twelve men and women had a lot of deadlines to meet. As soon as he touched down in D.C. the meetings would begin. Statistics, charts, and reports. 1826 days of endless number crunching were all he had to look forward to. It was difficult not to be envious of the people who had just blasted off from all their responsibilities.

The flight to D.C. was short, only about three hours thanks to the advancements that had been made to jet technology, but it gave him time to relax for a moment. Halfway through the flight he was handed a report that had just been received from the _Discovery_. Orbit had been established successfully and they were on schedule to depart for their first stop, a three Earth day orbit around Mars, tomorrow at 0830 GMT. Shelby tossed the report aside and turned on the television. A rerun of his speech was playing, and he paused to watch it briefly before switching to the business news channel.

Comforted by the sound of climbing stock prices and profits, Shelby soon fell asleep in his seat. A hour and a half later he was awoken by a service bot which alerted him they had arrived and a car was waiting for him. This time the short trip across the tarmac was easier, no one was waiting to ask him anything. No one had any interest in the progress of trash collection - ll they wanted was to get away from it.

Nestled into yet another limousine seat, Shelby was beginning to feel better. With one ship off planet things were starting to be resolved. Another nine starliners launched today, and 15 more tomorrow. Before the end of the month the planet would be empty save for the 12 BnL board members and 50 billion WALL-E units. After that, things would get better.


	4. Classified Information

_April 3, 2105 AD_

The numbers were good. Not great, but not terrible either.

Shelby Forthright was seated at the head of the boardroom table, poring over a freshly generated chart predicting the progress of Operation Cleanup. 11 identical charts were in the hands of the 11 men and women who sat at the table with him. Shelby nodded slowly, taking in the information before him. So far they had cleared almost 1.5 million tons of trash from suburban areas. The trash towers were beginning to grow and in a few months they'd be able to start incineration in the initial deployment regions. He put the paper down and looked up at the others in the room.

"Well, we've made good progress so far folks. Great work all around." he said, ending with a smaller than usual smile. The situation was good, but still grim. When he was away from the cameras and the reporters he could drop the car salesman act, at least a little bit.

"Now, on to the presentation prepared by our head of statistics. Mr. Gadhavi., the floor is yours."

A short, broad shouldered, Indian man stood up from his seat and proceeded to the front of the room. A holo-screen flickered on against the wall behind him. He cleared his throat, and turned to the executives.

"As Mr. Forthright has already said, Operation Cleanup has made great strides in waste allocation thus far. We foresee incineration beginning as soon as four months from now in regions 1 through 13. As for the roll out of the remaining WALL-E units, all rural and suburban divisions have been activated. We are currently waiting for the last starliner to take off in around two weeks time before deploying within major cities."

As Mr. Gadhavi spoke, the screen behind him displayed different slides accentuating the information he was giving. Charts and diagrams of all sorts showed the global spread of WALL-E bots and the predicted timelines to meet certain deadlines. He paused on a line graph labeled 'Air Pollution Levels.'

"Now, it's not all sunshine and roses quite yet. Up here you can see the current predicted rise in air pollution if we were to let Earth sit empty for the next decade. As you have probably noticed, it gets no where near deadly levels. However," he clicked the slide forward and a new line appeared on the graph. "If we factor in the increased pollution produced by our incinerators when we are burning at full capacity, you can see that we very quickly cross the threshold that would mean Earth can no longer support life."

Mr. Gadhavi scanned the faces in the room. All of them seemed rightly concerned at the suggestion the planet was on its deathbed. Shelby Forthright, at the head of the table, was resting his chin on his folded hands, staring at Mr. Gadhavi. His calm expression made Mr. Gadhavi nervous, and he hastily continued the presentation.

"But, since we were already planning to allow toxicity levels to rise and fall again before our customers return to the planet, we are still on track to meet our goals with minimal delay. We've run the numbers and predict we would only need to extend the cruises by an additional 4 or 5 years to give the atmosphere time to return to livable conditions."

Shelby cleared his throat and stood up from his chair. "Thank you Mr. Gadhavi, that will be all."

Mr. Gadhavi froze for a moment, caught in Shelby's line of sight like a deer in headlights. He nodded and silently returned to his seat. Shelby took his place at the front of the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I know that these numbers seem bleak. But I assure you that when Operation Cleanup was in development we accounted for all of these cases. We hope to avoid delaying our customer's return as Mr. Gadhavi suggests, and from the data we are seeing in this moment we are on track to do so. Let's not worry about what ifs and focus all of our attention on the task at hand. I know that with good old BnL collaboration we can pull through this!"

The salesman smile was back, and Shelby was happy to see it had calmed most of the people in the room. They leaned back in their chairs and began shuffling through their papers again. Another situation defused.

"All right then everyone, I think that wraps it up for today. We'll adjourn this meeting and see you all in the morning."

Murmurs of conversation started up as the executives packed up their briefcases and made their way out of the room. Shelby waited for the room to empty before approaching Mr. Gadhavi as he made his way out the door. Mr. Gadhavi looked up at the CEO with fear in his eyes. He was sure his career was over.

Instead, Shelby placed his hand on Mr. Gadhavi's shoulder. "Rohan, we need to talk. Can you meet me at my suite in an hour?" His grim expression made it clear this wasn't an optional meeting.

Rohan Gadhavi nodded. "Y- yes sir. I'll be there."

Shelby nodded and smiled slightly. "Good. Bring all of your air quality data." He turned and left the room. Mr. Gadhavi stood there alone for a moment, staying still just long enough for the motion activated lights to shut off, leaving him in the dark.

A timid knock on the door of his suite broke Shelby's focus on the holo-screen in front of him. He'd been reading and re-reading the report from statistics, and every time the outlook just seemed to get worse and worse. Rising from his desk chair, he walked to the door and checked the peephole.

Rohan Gadhavi stood outside in the hall, carrying two large file cases in each hand and a portable computer under his arm. Shelby opened the door and smiled widely at the clearly frightened man.

"Rohan! Great to see you, come on in!" Shelby said loudly, glancing up and down the hall before letting his guest in and quickly closing the door. "Come get set up on the table here, I'll be with you in a moment." he said as he left the room.

Rohan looked around at the opulent apartment he found himself in. _So this is where the most powerful man on Earth lived_ , he thought. _Still not preferable to a starliner, though._

He placed the two large file cases on the table and set up the computer. Three holo-screens drifted out of the almost paper-thin keyboard and he opened a series of files on each of them. Then, he opened the cases and spread out what must have been a forest's worth of paper. Shelby came back into the room carrying a thick manilla envelope which he placed to the side of the other documents. He turned to address his guest.

"What we are about to discuss is strictly confidential, and currently only known to myself and a handful of other board members. You are not to divulge any of this information to anyone, understood?"

Rohan nodded, a mixture of confusion and concern on his face. He wasn't sure what was about to be conveyed to him, but he was certain it wasn't going to be good. Shelby sat down at the table and gestured for Rohan to do the same.

"I've been reviewing the numbers you presented today for awhile now, and have come to a similar conclusion that you have. If we begin burning trash on such a massive scale the Earth will become unable to support life unless we delay the return of the starliners."

Rohan nodded again. This he knew already, he had been involved in gathering the data that developed into the conclusion. Why was the CEO reiterating this to him in such a secretive manner? They had already discussed it with the board earlier.

Shelby reached the the envelope and opened the flap. "What hasn't been shared with all of the board is the additional data that has been gathered regarding the impact this additional pollution will have on the greenhouse effect."

Carefully, Shelby extracted a few sheets of paper from the envelope. He spread them out in front of Rohan and began to point to different aspects of the charts displayed on them.

"We've already calculated that the PPM of toxic substances would be too great to support human, animal, or plant life for at least 4 years after our target date in 2110. You can see that data on the graph here which is identical to the one we saw in the meeting today."

Shelby moved on to the next paper. "What we have here is the projected temperature increase due to the additional cloud and smog cover created. We all know it's been getting warmer recently, but we couldn't have predicted an increase this severe."

Rohan's eyes widened at the sight of the near vertical line graphed before him. By 2110 the surface and air temperature of the planet would be so great that bodies of water would begin to evaporate. Plants would wither away and going outside would require heavy protective outerwear and breathing equipment. The statistician sat back in his chair and looked up to his boss, fear in his eyes.

Upon Shelby's face sat a grim look. "We predict that even in the last year of Operation Cleanup we will start to see the oceans recede and have to begin wearing heavy duty breathing equipment outdoors." Shelby moved on to the last piece of paper.

"Now, unlike with a simple air pollution problem, we can't simply let plants take care of the issue over a few months or years. With no plant life anymore, there's no cycle to replenish oxygen stores. Earth will be unable to support life indefinitely, for all we know."

"But we can fix that! We have the technology to recycle dirty air and CO2 into breathable air aboard the starliners. It would be possible to adapt those to clean the Earth's air, wouldn't it?" Rohan asked desperately.

Shelby shook his head. "We've run the numbers and the cost of doing that would too great, both financially and in terms of resources. Even if we contributed every last cent, the Earth wouldn't have the materials left to support the construction needed. Myself and the others privy to this information have made the decision that if we reach the end of Operation Cleanup and find Earth unable to support life without further efforts on our part, we will execute a directive designed to keep the starliners in space indefinitely."

Hand on his forehead, Rohan tried to process the information. All of the billions of people they were sending off into outer space were more than likely never going to return to their homes. The whole Exodus Program had been a carefully constructed lie in order to get people to willingly leave begin everything they had even known in order to save their lives. There might be no end to the cruises. An indefinite vacation.

Rohan looked up to Shelby and sat up in his chair. "Why didn't we tell people this was a possibility? Don't you think they have a right to know?"

Shelby sighed. "We've been living in the most peaceful time in human history. If we were to break the news that the corporation that had done so much to unite and improve the world had also potentially destroyed it, what do you think people would have done? Riots, protests, war. None of these things would put us on a path to having a chance to fix things. Evacuating the planet was our best hope, and that's why it was presented to the board and put into action."

Sitting in silence for a few moments, the two men both got lost in their thoughts. The whole situation seemed hopeless. Shelby noticed Rohan's face had contorted into a mixture of sadness and anger.

"At least the people will have a comfortable life, Rohan. That's all we ever wanted to give them." Shelby stretched out a hand and rested it on Rohan's arm. "We've done everything we could. And perhaps we still have a chance to improve things. Maybe we can fix this."

Rohan pulled away from the CEO's hand and stood up. He quickly began packing up his belongings, trying to hold in the range of emotions he was feeling.

Shelby watched him silently as he stuffed files back into their cases and shut down his computer. "Now remember what I said Rohan. None of this can leave the room. If anyone discovers this information it could potentially get to the starliners."

Rohan slammed down the case he had picked up and turned to Shelby, red in the face. "And what do you think people are going to do when they find out in 2110 that they're not coming home? Just accept it? If you truly believe that I don't know how you managed to get the position of CEO. There's absolutely no way that news will go over smoothly."

Shelby stood up and placed his hands on the table, staring commandingly at Rohan. "We will have to cross that bridge when we come to it. I don't have any plans to order the starliners to remain in space until the last possible moment. Until then we will proceed with Operation Cleanup as scheduled and hope that things take a turn for the better."

Rohan grabbed his things and made for the door. Shelby grabbed his arm and stopped him. "If you even think about telling someone about what we have discussed here tonight, I will ensure that you do not make it aboard an executive yacht when we leave the planet." he spat. "Go along with the plan and everything will be fine."

Rohan looked over Shelby's face, studying his expression. He wasn't kidding. For a moment Rohan wondered how many others had been given the same threat. He pulled his arm from the CEO's grasp and strode towards the door, turning back before leaving the apartment.

"I will keep your secret, Shelby. Not for you, and not for Buy n Large, but for my family. They don't deserve to live the next five years in space knowing we won't be having our reunion in 2110." He turned on his heel and disappeared down the hall, the door slowly closing behind him.

Shelby went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of scotch. He had been stupid to think he could trust Rohan, which is why he had to end with a threat. He hated doing that, and didn't know what he would do if Rohan called his bluff. Threats to remove him from the board were pointless once he knew the company wouldn't be reforming any time soon, so Shelby had had no other choice than to say what he did. The need to protect the interests of the company and humanity itself had forced his hand. If the information were to get out people would panic, perhaps unnecessarily. It was still possible that Operation Cleanup would be successful, and Shelby didn't want to have people knowing they could be stuck in space forever unless they had to.

Taking a seat in a plush armchair he stared out the window into the murky green cityscape. Yellow WALL-E units scurried up piles of trash like ants, slowly chipping away at the massive amount of waste that covered every possible surface. As he fell asleep in the chair, he began to dream of the cool summer afternoons at the soccer field as a child. Green grass under his shoes and the sun shining in the blue sky. It would only be a few years before he could get back to that, even if it was simulated in space.


	5. Annual Report

_April 2nd, 2107_

Shelby stood on a stage behind a wooden podium, a camera and teleprompter floating a few feet in front of him. In a few minutes he would start recording the second annual update on the progress of Operation Cleanup to send off to the starliner fleet. The ships had been in space for around two years now, and had already seen all sorts of wonderous things. The _Discovery_ was currently orbiting Saturn, giving her passengers amazing views of the planet's rings. The _Axiom_ was stopped at Neptune before her tour through the Kuiper Belt. Thousands of other ships were also roaming the stars, and all of the captains and Autopilots had reported that morale was high and everyone was having a wonderful time.

That was why Shelby was nervous to record this report. Last year's had been superb. They had made great progress with Operation Cleanup and were on track to have the fleet return on time. This year, however, they had missed a few deadlines and were behind on their schedule. It wasn't enough to effect a delay on the cruises, but it was definitely going to put a damper on the mood of the passengers.

A yellow light blinked on at the front of the camera to indicate it was about to start recording. Shelby adjusted his tie and centered himself behind the podium. The light turned red and the Buy n Large corporate jingle played. He began reading off the teleprompter.

"Hey there captains and Autopilots! Shelby Forthright here with your second annual Operation Cleanup report. We've made a little less progress than last time, unfortunately, but are still going to be able to meet our 2110 deadline! So far regions 1 through 527 have had at least 42% of their trash cleared and we have begun incinerating in all regions across the planet. Our team here is doing a wonderful job at ensuring everything is running smoothly and we have rapidly been making up for the time we lost a few months ago due to some malfunctions with a few thousand WALL-E units. Some extra acidity in the rain that has been cropping up in coastal regions caused some mechanical issues with the bots, but we've rolled out new and hardier units in those areas that are quickly picking up the job."

The teleprompter scrolled along silently as Shelby read off it. Numbers of tons of trash cleared, square miles reclaimed, interesting things that had been discovered under piles of trash from years before. All in all the operation seemed to be running smoothly. Absent from the speech, however, was the rate at which the temperature and pollution levels were starting to increase. It had been decided by the board that until they could completely confirm the numbers were something substantial, it would not be sent to the starliners. Perhaps they were truly going to investigate further and didn't want to start a panic, but most likely the twelve executives were firmly in denial about the dawning hopelessness of their situation.

In the back of his mind, Shelby knew it was already a lost cause to try and fix the Earth. Nothing they could do, no amount of bots or incinerators, could bring the planet back to life in just five years. But the facade had to be maintained, and in order to cope with the cheery appearance he held for the public he had forced himself to believe that everything would end up fine. _Only three more years_ , he thought as he rambled about efficiency improvements made by the team and updates they were planning on sending out to the starliner's systems. _Three more years and we'll be done._

"Well I suppose that about wraps it up. We're looking forward to hearing from all of you over the next few days as you send in your own annual reports. In the meantime, enjoy your vacation and have a margarita by the pool for me, haha! See you all real soon!"

The light on the camera blinked off and it floated away with the teleprompter to the editing room. Soon the finished video would be broadcast by large transmission satellites to all of the starliners in their various positions in space. Over the next few days those same satellites would receive responses from each of the captains to Shelby's broadcast. It was nice for the team on Earth to hear about the goings-on aboard the starliners, and gave them a bit of respite from the growing harshness of life as the sole humans left on the planet.

Shelby stepped down from the stage and left the room. A year from now he'd be back to record the next report. He hoped it wouldn't be worse than this one, but deep down he knew it would be.

As he walked down the hall towards the kitchen for a cup of coffee, he watched the dust storm that had started a few hours ago through the windows. The usual thick smog had been made much worse as it spiraled and twisted through the air. Small rocks and bits of trash clunked up against the reinforced glass and the outer walls of the building. The architects had been puzzled when Shelby had ordered the Operation Cleanup building to be built like a bomb shelter, but none of them knew how bad the conditions outside would get. As the world got more and more deadly this building would be the only way he and his team could survive.

The kitchen was empty except for the service bot that always remained there. Shelby ordered it to prepare a cup of coffee for him and it got to work as he sat down at one of the tables. From his pocket he pulled his mobile phone, a small rectangle as thick as a few sheets of paper, and turned it on. He browsed through the daily news sent from the starliners as the bot delivered his coffee to him. Nothing much was being reported on except for the events aboard each of the ships; Tuesday was the karaoke contest apparently. No one was left on Earth to write the headlines and articles he had been so used to reading, and he often found himself missing the daily business news.

A cup of coffee and a muffin later, Shelby found himself back in his apartment watching the same dust storm through the window again. It was nice to be alone for awhile. He'd been directing meetings all week and the work was starting to take its toll. Kicking off his dress shoes and loosening his tie, Shelby sat down and put his feet up on the coffee table. He began flipping through a magazine; an issue of _BnL Lifestyle_ from a few months ago. Skimming through the pages, smiling people in colourful ads flashing by like characters in a flipbook, he paused on an article speculating on what the fashion scene would be like aboard the starliners. He couldn't help but chuckle at that. Everyone up there was wearing the same bodysuits for the whole cruise, he was pretty sure they appeared in one of the holo-screen ads they had been rolling as well. It was curious that people hadn't picked up on that and had gotten to work on designing the strangest outfits for life in the cosmos.

Putting down the magazine, he turned his attention to the window again. The storm had gotten stronger, and larger pieces of rock and waste were battering the outside of the building. Prodding a control panel, Shelby caused a blind to slide down over the window, obscuring the desolation of the outside world. He sat back and massaged his temples, trying to get rid of the headache that had begun to linger behind his eyes.

Throughout the building the other board members were doing similar things in their own apartments. Sitting alone, listening to the sound of the wind outside, each of them considered the fact that maybe things wouldn't get better. Maybe they were doomed to fail. Only Shelby and a few others knew of the backup plan that had been developed, but keeping humanity in space forever to save them from the horrors of a dead Earth wasn't exactly a comforting thought.


	6. New Directive

_April 2nd, 2110 AD_

Shelby lay awake in his darkened apartment, waiting for his alarm to go off. He hadn't slept a wink in the past week, and he expected the others were feeling a tired as he was. Today was the day he had been anticipating for the past five years; the day of his final report on Operation Cleanup. The consensus: complete failure. Earth was a lifeless rock drifting through space. The cockroaches and his executive team remained were only organic life on the planet. He had known this was coming, but to actually give the order to stay in space forever was a daunting task. He would be solely responsible for changing the course of human history forever, and he wasn't sure that change was for the better.

His alarm clock began to chime and he sat bolt upright. Turning off the clock he blundered around in the dim room until he found his closet. Grabbing what he felt was the cleanest dress shirt and suit he got dressed without showering. The water supply for the building had been compromised two weeks ago, and they had been conserving everything they could for drinking. The whole place was beginning to smell quite bad. He ran his fingers through his hair a few times to try and get it to sit flat, but eventually gave up and trudged towards the door of his room.

His bags that had been piled there the night before had been whisked away by a bot which loaded them onto the transport the executives would board shortly. The BnL executive yacht stood waiting an hour away in her dock, prepared to take the last humans away from Earth.

Shelby made his way downstairs to the broadcasting room. The eleven others were waiting there for him, all in similar states of dishevelment. He was handed a breathing apparatus to match the ones the others were already wearing, and was instructed to put it on before heading outside to the transport.

He climbed the steps, took his place at the familiar podium, and looked out at his team. Worry and defeat lay on each of their faces, and Shelby felt it reflected on his own. They had tried so hard, and still they had failed. Neither Buy n Large nor all of humanity had seen such a monumental catastrophe, and now they were going to run away from it all forever.

When it became certain that returning humanity to Earth would be impossible, Shelby had presented a carefully censored version of Directive A113 to the board. He had told his peers that he would give the order for the starliners to remain in space and launch the Extraterrestrial Vegetation Survey Program. Each year the ships would launch a survey mission back to earth that would use advanced probe robots to search the planet for signs of plant life. If a sample was found, it would be returned to the ship that sent the probe and be used to trigger a return to Earth. Until a plant had been found, the fleet would remain in space to be sure that no one returned to a deadly planet.

What wasn't told to anyone except for Shelby's small team of top executives was that A113 also contained two secret orders. The first was to switch to complete automatic control onboard every ship. The Autopilots would slowly take over all duties from the captains, and execute the second secret order. Shelby and the others who developed Directive A113 had decided that there was no hope for Earth to recover on its own, and had elected not to develop a new cleanup plan. Because of this, the Autopilots were going to be ordered to ensure their respective starliners did not return to Earth under any circumstances. This included the retrieval of a plant sample. It had been decided that the risk was too great to have anyone return home, and that it would be easier for everyone to remain in space indefinitely.

The passengers of the starliners would be told of the EVS Program by their captains, and believe that BnL was still doing everything they could to get them home. This had been chosen as the best way to break the news to the public, as it would place BnL in the position of "the good guys" who were unable to do anything else at the moment. The blame for the fact that Earth was dead would be placed on the Earth itself, not the company. This way, even far in the future when Shelby and his team were long dead, their customers would be happy with Buy n Large.

Before starting his speech to the starliners, Shelby addressed his team.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the board..." he stopped suddenly and broke down into a coughing fit. The atmospheric systems of the building hadn't been able to keep up with the pollution outside and were beginning to let toxic air in. This had given him a lingering cough for the past few months. He recovered and went on.

"We've had a hard five years, but now is the time that changes. We uh... We did everything we could, and now we must move on to the next stage of our plan. It has been determined by the board that to allow humanity to return to Earth in its current state is too dangerous, and that the EVS Program will be implemented to ensure no one comes back here until it is able to support life."

The faces before him did not change. All of them continued to stare, maybe hoping that he would come up with some miraculous plan to fix everything. That wasn't going to happen.

"Firstly, I hereby order the deactivation of all WALL-E units worldwide prior to our departure. There's not much point in leaving them running."

He paused before continuing. "Secondly, I would like to thank all of you for your hard work. I know those of you who have families had to make a big sacrifice to let them leave for space without you, and that it has been difficult to be without them these past five years. I promise once we are in orbit all efforts will be turned to finding a way to have you join them on their own starliners."

In the back of the crowd, Rohan Gadhavi scoffed. Shelby pretended not to notice.

"Alright. I'm going to record the final report to the captains and Autopilots. Quiet, please."

Shelby tried to make himself presentable for the camera, but gave up as the camera and teleprompter floated up to him. The red light lit up and the corporate jingle played.

"Hey there, captains and Autopilots! Shelby here with your final Operation Cleanup report. As you may have gathered, things haven't been going so great back here on Earth. Unfortunately we are going to have to delay your return in order to give the planet some time to recover. As we can't currently predict when it will be able to safely support life, I am giving the order to implement the Extraterrestrial Vegetation Survey Program. I don't have time to give the details now, but the short version is each of your ships will begin sending probes back to Earth each year to search for ongoing plant life. If it is discovered, a sample will be brought back and your ship will return to Earth. Your Autopilots can give you more information."

Shelby sighed, now came the hard part. "We know it will be difficult for your passengers to understand this, which is why you must tell them this news in a very careful manner. On tomorrow's morning announcements, for some of you that is the morning of the original return date, please use the script that has been sent to you along with this video. Assure people that we at Buy n Large are still doing everything we can to get them home as soon as possible, and feel free to report the findings of the annual surveys once they begin. This will be difficult for both you and the people aboard your ship to take in, and if there is any trouble please consult your Autopilot for how to keep people calm. The starliners have a wide variety of activities and events to keep people relaxed through all of this, so make sure they take advantage of them."

A red light began to flash on the opposite wall of the room. A dust storm was moving in, and they had to get out of here as quickly as possible. Shelby still had to record the secret briefing to be sent to the Autopilots, so he had to wrap this up quickly. His eyes flicked back to the camera and he tried to hide the panic he was beginning to feel.

"Alright, then. Thank you for your cooperation in these tough times. We will continue to send quarterly updates once our executive team is in orbit. If you have any questions, please ask your Autopilots. We hope to see you all back on Earth soon." He tried to crack a smile, but it ended up looking more like a grimace. The camera blinked off.

Shelby clasped his hands together and looked to the group. "Okay folks, let's get out to our transport. I'll join you shortly, just have to ensure the building powers down okay."

Murmurs of nervous conversation began to rise up as the people began to filter out of the room. Two men and a woman stayed behind, the only others who knew of the second broadcast that was about to be recorded. Shelby nodded to one of them, and he went to the door that the others had left through and locked it. Shelby turned back to the camera and the light came back on. He hands idly felt at the oxygen pack he was holding, prepared to put it on. Behind him, the BnL Logo was illuminated by the pulsating red light indicating he was pushing his luck every second he stood here. The jingle played again and Shelby gestured to one of his peers.

"Just cut it off, will ya?"

The music shut off suddenly and Shelby turned back to the camera.

"Hey there, Autopilots! Uh, got some bad news. Operation Cleanup has, uh, well... failed. Wouldn't you know it, rising toxicity levels have made life unsustainable on Earth. Darn it all, we're going to have to cancel Operation Recolonize."

Shelby donned the oxygen pack and took the mask in his hands. "So just, uh... just stay the course. Rather than try to fix this problem, it'll just be easier for everyone to remain in space."

The red light began to blink faster, indicating the storm was imminent. One of the men standing off the stage gestured frantically to Shelby. "Mr. President, sir, it's time to go." he whispered.

"Alright, uh... uh... I'm giving override directive A113. Go to full autopilot, take control of everything. And do not return to earth!" He began to step away from the podium as he put on his mask. His voice muffled by it, he continued. "Repeat! Do not return to Earth!"

Shelby fled the stage. "Let's get the heck out of here." The camera shut off.

The remaining executives of the board hurried out of the building and into the airlock at its front doors. The inner doors closed and sealed, and the outer ones opened. Immediately they were buffeted by the harsh winds and dust that exploded into the small room. Eyes squinting, hands holding their masks onto their faces, the people foraged out into the murky green world. The short path to the transport was almost invisible through the thick smog, and after what seemed like eternity they made it into the sleek hovering vehicle.

Once inside, the doors sealed and the twelve men and women who had been the only humans on Earth for the past five years were whisked away towards their executive space yacht. In just two hours they would be in orbit and would not have to worry about deadly air or dirty water again. The transport cruised through the air and the people inside looked out at the desolate city they were passing through. WALL-E units could be seen sitting motionless, some part way through stacking or compacting trash cubes. After a moment, one of the execs turned the windows opaque. None of them wanted to dwell on the fate their company had doomed the Earth to.


	7. Close Your Eyes and See it Glisten

_2194 AD_

Shelby Forthright lay in his cabin aboard the BnL executive space yacht. It had been 84 years since he had left Earth and condemned humanity to life in space. Here he was, 132 years old, a shadow of his former self. Buy n Large had made a wide range of medical advancements that had extended human life by decades, but hadn't quite eliminated the unpleasant effects of aging. A few wisps of grey hair sat atop his head, and his wrinkled and frail body had begun having trouble coping with the micro-gravity environment of the ship. The extended stay in space had taken a toll on his bone structure, and he relied on a hover chair to get around.

Staring at the wall in front of him, Shelby thought back through his life. He had only been 20 years old when he took the position of CEO at Buy n Large, the youngest in the company's history. He and his team had taken an already hugely successful company and turned it in into the sole business on Earth. The profit had been enormous, not to mention the benefits they had given to all of humanity. For so many years the planet had been a peaceful utopia of consumerism, and then everything had gone bad so quickly.

He wondered if it had all been worth it. Had the massive income and soaring stock prices been a good trade for the death of the planet? In the grand scheme of things, it had only been a very brief period that they had all enjoyed those things. Once BnL had become the sole company on Earth, there was no one to compete with anymore. They could have simply stopped and let humanity thrive. But they hadn't, and there was no going back now.

He pressed a button on his chair's armrest and the backrest moved him up into an upright position. Floating out of the room he made his way to the main living area of the ship. He was the only one here; everyone else was still asleep in their cabins. A drink bot brought him a cup of something breakfast related. After awhile all of the nutrient slurries began to taste the same, so he had stopped checking the flavours. Slurping from the cup, he floated over to the large window that was the entire wall of the room and gazed out into the cosmos.

He had to admit, it was beautiful. Much better than the dusty wasteland Earth was. The probes had been departing and returning to each of the starliners each year like clockwork, and the reports sent back to him and the board contained many photos of the planet. It had gotten immensely worse since they had departed, and eventually Shelby had stopped reviewing the reports. It was just too much for him to see what they had done to their home now that he wasn't trying to save it.

His cup now empty, it was quickly taken away by the bot. He sat there for almost half an hour before snapping out of his trance. Floating over to the seating area, he turned on the television and began flipping through the movie archives. He stopped on "Hello, Dolly!" and watched for a moment. The characters danced on a green lawn in the middle of the city, underneath a blue sky. The idea of such a lush natural paradise in the middle of civilization was almost humorous to Shelby. His memories of his own times at the park as a child had begun to fade with age.

As the movie played Shelby began to feel tired. Eventually he slumped over, his head resting on the side of his hover chair. As he slept, he dreamt of returning to a lush green Earth, complete with shining sun and blue sky. He and his fellow board members welcomed humanity home to paradise, and the people showed no anger towards those who had trapped them in space for so long.

A smile appeared on Shelby's face. As he exhaled for the last time, the only thought in his mind was of the sun on his face and the grass under his feet. It would be centuries before any human would experience those things again.


	8. Part 2

Part 2

 _Command Responsibilities_

There can be only one Captain to a ship.

\- Thomas John Barnardo


	9. Opportunity

_2102 AD_

Joel Flores stood in the kitchen of his downtown Los Angeles apartment, sipping a cup of coffee prepared for him by a service bot as he watched the traffic on the street below. He used to enjoy watching the people pass, coming up with stories for each of them and contemplating what they were off to do. Now it was very rare for someone to walk down the streets of the suburbs; no one really wanted to dodge the ever growing piles of trash that scattered the sidewalks.

He left his spot at the window and strolled through the kitchen into the living area. It was a modest apartment, no one could really afford to have a huge amount of space in the city, but he thought it suited him perfectly. Shortly after his 19th birthday in 2081 he had moved to the city to try and land a job aboard a freight ship. He had just finished his training for the navy and was about to be deployed when Buy n Large swooped in and bought the whole operation from the government. They had privatized defence and began replacing human troops with robots, meaning he and the thousands of others who had enlisted were left jobless with nowhere to go. It was the unfortunate side effect of automation, and for many years he felt resentment towards the ever-expanding corporate entity. These days, however, Buy n Large was an inescapable and important part of his life. He had been able to get a job as a user support agent for service bots, and had quickly moved up the ranks to hold the position of call centre supervisor. He made decent money, and the company provided him with flexible hours. It wasn't an overly exciting job, definitely not next to the adventure the navy would have offered, but he was glad to have it. In a world where more and more jobs were being taken by bots it was hard to find stable employment.

He placed his coffee down on a desk and sat down in front of his computer. The holo-screens sprang up and he logged on to his corporate email to check his messages. Even if he wasn't in the office today, work never took a break. Scrolling through the usual bulk of mailing list newsletters and advertisements, a message marked high priority grabbed his attention. It was sent from BnL Sanitation Developments, that small department that had been created years ago to investigate a solution to the growing demand for waste removal. Joel wondered what they could have to say to a call center manager, and clicked on the email.

" _Dear Mr. Flores,_

 _You are being contacted due to the contents of your BnL corporate personnel file. BnL Sanitation Developments is currently developing a project that would benefit immensely from your experience with naval operations. While information regarding this project cannot be openly discussed at this time, we can assure you that it is no ordinary assignment. This is the most adventurous and massive project Buy n Large has ever undertaken, and we can guarantee it will be an exciting experience if you choose to be involved._

 _Should you accept this offer, you will be required to cease regular duties and report for training in downtown Los Angeles at a yet to be announced location. You will receive your regular pay, as well as a substantial bonus during the training period. Once you take your new position you will also receive a salary nearly double your current._

 _If you are interested in learning more, please reply to this email stating your interest and to RSVP to the event listed below. This orientation seminar will give you more information regarding this project and will be your opportunity to accept or decline the position offered._

 _Please note that this email is covered under the BnL non-disclosure agreement you signed at the time you were hired, and may not be discussed with anyone. Failure to adhere to this requirement will result in termination of employment and possible legal action._

 _Thank you for your time, and we hope to see you at the seminar!_

 _\- BnL Sanitation Developments, HR Department"_

Joel puzzled over the email for quite some time, wondering what on Earth a waste disposal division could be doing that required naval experience. He glanced over the event details at the bottom of the email. Tomorrow at 3PM, downtown at the BnL Corporate Theatre. He'd be off work at 1, and would definitely be able to make it on time.

Finishing the last bit of his coffee, he sat back and decided what to do. The pay increase was definitely substantial, and the promise of an "adventurous" project was tempting. The email was so vague that he almost thought it was a hoax, but after seeing the sending address was an official one he made up his mind. After work tomorrow he would take the metro to the theatre and see what this was all about.

" _The next station is... Vermont."_

Joel stood up and moved towards the door of the train car. The sleek subway slid into the station, hovering above the tracks thanks to the maglev technology it employed. The doors opened and he began to fight the crowd as he made his way out of the station and up to street level.

Downtown LA had changed a lot since BnL had become the governing body of the United States. The skyscrapers towered higher, the cars moved quicker, even the people seemed different; mostly just because there were millions more of them than ever before. The biggest difference was the air. Every day it seemed to get thicker with smog, making it harder to see and breathe. Many people wore simple rebreathers when they went outside. Joel had yet to purchase one, but the cough he seemed to get every month was starting to convince him to do so.

Making his way down the street, he quickly arrived at the theatre where the orientation was scheduled. The Buy n Large logo was emblazoned on the front of the building in shimmering bronze, and the banner beneath it simple announced "Sanitation Orientation Today!" He went way inside.

A bot was waiting for him, and quickly identified his face in order to greet him and show him into the theatre. There were only a handful of others sitting there, and they all seemed as confused as he was. Soon after taking his seat, the lights in the theatre dimmed and the stage lit up. A man dressed in a suit and tie walked out onto the stage and waved to them all.

"Hi there everyone! I'm Zack Hobbs, director of human resources at BnL Sanitation Developments. I'm the one who sent those emails you've been wondering about."

Zack chuckled, and the confused audience joined him hesitantly. He smiled and went on.

"Let's get to that, then. You've all been contacted because of your experience in naval operations, whether that's basic training from the now defunct US Navy, through commercial freight work,or something else entirely. We here at BnL SD have been working on something great that we need your help with, but before I roll the video for you I must mention: this is all top secret! No one outside of the board of BnL and those we've contacted know about this yet. That will change soon! But until then you can't go telling your friends, alright?" He smiled widely. It was the kind of smile that made it clear the gag order wasn't optional, and BnL never lost in court. Zack stepped off to the side of the stage and a holo-screen lit up, the BnL logo spiraling onto it accompanied by its familiar jingle.

" _Space!"_ a voice boomed. " _A wondrous frontier of the unknown. For centuries humanity has wanted to touch the stars, and Buy n Large has a plan to let them do just that. But in order to make sure everything goes smoothly, we need your help!"_

As the voice spoke, images of stars and galaxies flashed on screen. Slowly a massive spaceship floated into view. It was one of the new starliners that had been in the news lately. BnL had been piloting a space tours program for top level execs and their families, with hopes to expand it to the public. Joel found himself getting excited. Could this have to do with that? If so, it was strange they were rolling out the program through Sanitation Developments.

" _By now you've all heard of the pilot program for BnL's luxury space tours. BnL Sanitation Developments is proud to announce that as a part of our plan to help spruce up the planet a bit, we are rapidly expanding our fleet of starliners to give humanity some much needed respite from the daily grind."_ A picture of a garbage filled city appeared. It was a sight everyone was familiar with.

" _We need people like you to be our next starliner captains. People who have experience with naval operations that can lead humanity into the future! We only have a few years until our rollout, so we need you to step up to this great adventure now! Imagine: exploring the cosmos from the bridge of a starliner, giving your passengers an experience they will remember forever. BnL had always strived to give people the best experiences possible, and without you, we can't do that. Enlist as a starliner captain today! See our associates at the end of the presentation for information."_

The logo was back on screen as it faded out. Zack walked back onto stage, beaming. The people watching were much more excited now, and were itching for a chance to sign up to pilot one of the ships. Zack could tell, and began to wrap things up.

"Now before I send you back to the lobby to check that 'yes' box, there's a few more things. This is at least an eight year commitment, that includes training and your actual assignments. We know many of you haven't had a command like this before, but we have a rigorous preparation program ready for you that will have you ready for launch in no time!"

People had already started to inch out of their seats, ready to run out of the theatre. It was clear they were all starved for a change of pace. Most of them had experiences similar to Joel; their future plans had been disrupted by the rapid automation of the world, and they had gotten stuck in desk jobs. This would change everything!

"Alright then," Zack chuckled, seeing the anticipation growing. "Get on out there!"

An hour later, Joel had signed stacks of documents and was on his way home on the subway. Tomorrow he would receive his official briefing packet to review and would report for training by the end of the year. It had been so long since he had been excited to go work, and he hoped this wasn't a rash decision.

As the train pulled into his stop and he climbed the stairs to the street, he gazed up at the sky. The green haze was everywhere, and he hadn't seen the stars in ages. He couldn't wait to get out there and see what the universe had to offer.


	10. Reaching Orbit

_April 2nd, 2105 AD_

The elevator doors slid open silently, and Captain Joel Flores stepped out onto the bridge of the _BnL Discovery_. The first day of his command had arrived, and the anticipation was almost too much to bear. He had half a mind to run around the room and scream loudly, but that thought was quickly pushed out of his mind when the white and black ship's wheel rounded the corner.

The Autopilot's red glowing eye made Captain Flores a bit uneasy. It seemed to stare at him for quite a time before addressing him.

"Good morning, Captain. I am your Autopilot aboard the _Discovery_. It is good to meet you."

One of the arms on the wheel flipped out and folded in to salute the Captain. Captain Flores nodded in acknowledgment.

"Thank you Autopilot. I trust things have been running smoothly so far?" Captain Flores inquired.

"Yes sir. All systems report ready, and passenger loading is at 82 percent completion."

Captain Flores nodded again. "Good. How long until launch?"

"T-minus 52 minutes sir. T-minus 32 minutes until the sendoff broadcast begins." the Autopilot responded in its mechanical voice. The harshness of the synthesized speech set the Captain's teeth on edge. He hoped he could get used to it quickly.

"Thank you, Autopilot. I'll be in my quarters, then. Please alert me when the broadcast is about to start." he stepped back over to the elevator.

"Aye-aye, sir."

Captain Flores stepped back into the elevator and it moved down a level. The quarters he now occupied were much more extravagant than his apartment in the city. One side offered a view of the ship's Lido Deck and first class section, while the other would soon show him all the beauty the cosmos had to offer. Currently it looked out over the murky ocean on the coast of LA.

As he strode around the room, Captain Flores caught sight of himself in a mirror on the wall. He paused to inspect his reflection. The white captain's shirt still looked strange on him, and he wasn't a huge fan of the hat. It had been a much quicker ascension in rank compared to what the Navy would have given him, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

In training they had worked through all sorts of scenarios. Launching, landing, course plotting, public speaking for addressing the passengers. All of this was always followed by a reminder that their Autopilot could do anything they needed it to, save for the morning announcements. Captain Flores was comforted slightly in knowing that if he was ever at a loss the ship could essentially run itself, but he was determined to do everything he could for as long as he could. Five years was not a very long time to be in command of a ship, but when that ship contained hundreds of thousands of people and there were few vacations involved, he wasn't sure how long he could hold up.

The Captain continued his loop around the room, pausing to admire the artifacts BnL had provided as decor. An old style space helmet sat in a glass case, surrounded by models of historical space ships. The moon lander, the first ship capable of faster than light travel, and of course the _Axiom_ ; BnL's pride and joy. She was the most exclusive ship in the starliner fleet, and was being captained by the most qualified man to do so. Captain Reardon had been in the Navy as Captain Flores almost had, and was one of the last human members of the force. He was a natural choice for the command of the _Axiom_ , and all of the other Captains looked up to him with much admiration.

Reaching the other side of the room, Captain Flores looked down onto the Lido Deck. The pools were covered currently, and the holo-screen advertisements were all off. Passenger transport vehicles hovered back and forth across the deck, bringing people to their cabins to prepare for launch. Up on the "sky dome" of the ship was a massive display, currently powered down. When the ship was underway it would display a fake sky, complete with BnL branded sun, for the passengers to enjoy.

Captain Flores marvelled at the feat of engineering this ship was, and the _Discovery_ wasn't even the largest in the fleet! BnL had done it again. They had managed to scrounge up the last of the planet's resources to give humanity the most comfortable ark possible. Soon they would be back home on a freshly cleaned Earth, ready to start life anew. Captain Flores smiled at the thought.

Behind him, the Autopilot dropped through an aperture in the ceiling.

"Sir, the broadcast is about to begin."

Captain Flores turned around. "Thank you Autopilot, I'll be up in a moment."

The wheel disappeared back upstairs and Captain Flores turned back to the Lido Deck. He nodded, as if acknowledging the ship herself, and made for the elevator.

Back up on the bridge, the Autopilot had docked at the front of the control consoles to prepare the ship for launch. Captain Flores stood next to it, and a holo-screen grew out of the console in front of him. The BnL logo that pulsed on screen soon turned to a camera shot of an empty stage. The _Discovery_ was visible far behind it, almost hidden in the smog. On stage, the CEO of Buy n Large appeared. Shelby Forthright stepped up to the podium and waved to the audience.

" _Thank you! Thank you all for being here today!"_

The crowd quieted down, and Captain Flores could feel the suspense in the air.

" _We have come a long way since I took the reigns of Buy n Large in 2082. In those 23 years we have cured disease, revolutionized every industry on Earth, and given everyone the right to a comfortable life!"_

The crowd went wild. Captain Flores found himself smiling and clapping as well. He was sure the passengers in their cabins were doing the same.

" _In recent years, we have faced some tough times and difficult challenges, but today is the day that everything changes! We are again revolutionizing the world and giving you all the life you deserve. Behind me is the BnL Discovery, our first luxury starliner to launch as part of our Exodus Space Program. Over these next few weeks each and every one of you will board your own starliner and take off towards a fabulous five year vacation amongst the stars. We here at BnL hope that you enjoy this experience as much as we have enjoyed creating it for you, and when you get back we'll have a nice clean planet for you to enjoy all over again!"_

The Autopilot disengaged from its dock, and turned to the Captain.

"Sir, main thrusters are now online. Beginning launch sequence on your command." it stated.

"Begin sequence." Captain Flores ordered. The ship began to rumble as her boosters fired up. On screen, Shelby Forthright looked towards the _Discovery_. He turned back and beamed.

" _And with that, I want you all to join me in wishing the passengers and crew of the Discovery 'bon voyage!' Safe travels to you all!"_

Slowly the _Discovery_ began to creep upwards, shaking her bonds to the Earth. Captain Flores braced himself on the console before him as she rose up into the sky. The broadcast cut out and the holo-screen shut off.

The _Discovery_ made her way up into the heavens with the Captain staring out into the smog cloud as they moved through it. Suddenly, the cloud cover broke and they emerged into dazzling clear sky. Captain Flores' face broke into a smile at the sight. He was already giving his passengers exactly what BnL had wanted them to get; a fantastic experience they would remember forever. He even got to enjoy it himself from the best seat in the house.

"We are about to leave atmosphere, Captain." the Autopilot reported.

Flames began to appear across the surface of the ship, temporarily obscuring Captain Flores' view out of the windows. Suddenly, a large satellite smashed into the glass, startling him. They had broken through the atmosphere, and soon after the expanse of debris orbiting the planet. Now they were headed into clear space.

"Current altitude: 270 kilometres above sea level."

Captain Flores nodded. "Good. Proceed to geosynchronous orbit at 400 kilometres above sea level."

"Aye-aye, sir."

The Captain left his spot at the console and went to look down onto the Lido Deck again. The ship was still quiet, all of her passengers still strapped in for take off. Tomorrow their vacation would begin, and they would head for their first destination: a three week stay near Venus and Mercury.

"Captain," the Autopilot interrupted, "we have achieved geosynchronous orbit at 400 kilometres. Ship's systems report ready to begin normal operation."

Captain Flores nodded, still facing out towards the Lido Deck as the Autopilot waited behind him for his orders.

"Let's boot her up, Autopilot."

"Aye-aye, sir." the wheel returned to the other side of the bridge.

The first sign of life was the sky dome turning on. The dark display brightened, at first showing a plain blue colour. Slowly, clouds drifted into view, and a cartoon sun spun in. The Buy n Large logo was present on the yellow circle, and the current time and temperature sat nearby. Suddenly, holo-screens shot up from every possible surface. Fake palm trees were projected along the pool deck, and in the distance the Captain could see advertisements for the shopping district and food courts in the coach section of the ship.

In a matter of minutes the _Discovery_ had gone from cold and empty to brimming with life. Captain Flores could see passengers looking out from their balconies. He knew they were all eager to get out and explore, and he didn't want to keep them waiting. He made his way to the center of the Lido-facing console and pressed a control on it. On the sky dome a new display lit up, showing him and the Autopilot who had moved into view behind him. Captain Flores smiled at his passengers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. Welcome aboard the _BnL Discovery_!"


	11. First Day

_April 3rd, 2105 AD_

The alarm panel next to Captain Flores' hoverchair trilled and he jerked awake. Sitting upright, he tapped the panel to silence the sound and a handful of service bots appeared from concealed compartments near the floor. The Captain stretched his arms out to either side and a bot placed his button-up shirt and hat onto him, while another tended to his hair and teeth. A massage bot gave him a quick once over before the automatons retreated back into their bays. He stood up and rolled his head around in a circle, stretching out his neck.

Today was day one aboard the _Discovery_. The day before had been spent briefing passengers on safety protocols and how to use the various amenities the ship had to offer, and now they were finally going to get their voyage underway. It was still 0630 hours, meaning it was unlikely that anyone would be awake just yet, but Captain Flores had to be ready. He made his way to the elevator and went up to the bridge.

The Autopilot was again docked at the front of the bridge, interfacing with the ship. As the Captain stepped out of the elevator the wheel disconnected itself and moved over to him.

"Good morning Captain." it said, saluting Captain Flores.

"Good morning Autopilot. I trust the night was uneventful?"

"Correct, Captain. No anomalies reported. All systems are at full operating capacity."

"Excellent." the Captain responded as he made his way over to one of the many control panels that lined the exterior of the bridge. Tapping a button on one, he issued a command to the ship's computer.

"Computer, status report."

A holo-screen lit up at the end of the console, waiting for further inquiry. Captain Flores began a back and forth exchange with the soft female voice of the computer.

"Mechanical systems?"

"Unchanged." the computer stated.

"Reactor core temperature?"

"Unchanged."

"Passenger count."

"Unchanged."

"Food service volume."

"Unchanged"

"Jacuzzi pH balance."

"Jacuzzi is offline."

"Laundry service volume."

"Unchanged."

The Captain turned away from the console, satisfied with the data he had received.

"Good. Everything seems in order. Autopilot, how many passengers are awake at the moment?"

The Autopilot responded almost immediately, showcasing the speed at which it could retrieve data from any part of the ship.

"Two thousand, three hundred, and twenty seven, sir."

The Captain nodded. "Alert me at oh-nine hundred or when 60 percent of the passengers are awake. I'd like to make the morning announcements at that time."

"Aye-aye, sir." the wheel confirmed.

"I'm going to go to the dining room for breakfast." Captain Flores said as he made for the elevator again. The Autopilot moved to stop him.

"There is no need for you to leave the bridge for that, sir. The ship's GO-4 unit can retrieve your meal."

A light began to blink on the wall behind the Captain, and a small bot with a red light for a head appeared out of a transport tube. It floated over to the Captain and saluted with a small arm that extended out of what could have been described as its shoulder.

The Captain paused for a moment, slightly stunned by the knowledge he now had a personal assistant. He cleared his throat and issued an order to the bot.

"GO-4, go and get me some breakfast from the dining room please."

The bot beeped and saluted again, before hovering back to its tube and disappearing. The Captain looked to the Autopilot.

"Alright, then. Now what?" he asked.

"According to its current position, the GO-4 will return in approximately nine minutes."

Captain Flores nodded. The Autopilot remained at his side for a moment before moving over to the space side of the bridge again and resuming control of the ship. The Captain was unsure of where to go next. The ship was running smoothly, he didn't need to walk to get breakfast, and he didn't need to make any announcements yet. He wandered over to the Lido side of the bridge and looked up at the time on the sky dome. 0705 hours; still too early to open up the pool. The Captain looked down through the window and was surprised to see there were a few people wandering around already. He scanned the rooms that lined the outside of the pool area and saw even more passengers out on their balconies. Before he could ask the Autopilot to report on how many people were awake, a series of beeps caused him to turn around.

The GO-4 was back, and floating in its stasis beam was a cup of coffee and a plate of bacon, eggs, and pancakes. The Captain took it and thanked the bot, which saluted him and disappeared to the other side of the bridge. Returning to its tube, he assumed.

Back downstairs in his cabin, Captain Flores sat at the table facing out into space as he ate. Earth was just visible down in the corner of the window. He was glad he didn't have a full view of it; the sickly brown colour didn't help his appetite much. Soon enough they'd be out of orbit, though, and off to explore the cosmos.

As he was getting down to the last drops of his coffee, the Autopilot dropped through the ceiling to report that 60 percent of the passengers were awake and awaiting his morning address. Captain Flores quickly put down his cup and rushed up to the bridge to look out over the Lido Deck again. He adjusted his hat and pressed the button to activate the PA system. He appeared across the ship, his face upon every holo-screen in sight.

"Good morning everybody, and welcome to day one aboard the _Discovery!_ You already heard from me yesterday shortly after launch, but in case you've forgotten, I'm Captain Joel Flores, the commanding officer of this ship."

The Autopilot moved into the frame behind him, just visible on the holo-screens.

"We have a wonderful itinerary for you all today! This is our first and only day in Earth orbit before we head off to our first destination; a three week Mercury/Venus tour during which we will get closer to the sun than any other human-piloted ship has before! Don't worry though, the air conditioning will keep you nice and cool." he chuckled. Down below him more and more people were arriving at the pool; at least four tram cars had arrived to bring people from the other areas of the ship since he started talking.

The Captain looked to the holo-screen in front of him to read the details of the ship's events for today. "First off, we have a great classic breakfast menu for you in the dining areas today. Who doesn't love some bacon and eggs, right? After the announcements Lido Deck pool will be up and running so you can all dive right in for a swim as well. We also have some great beginner's training sessions at the tennis courts and the driving range for those of you who want to pick up a new sport. Later today there's an 'Earth History' show in the Deck 11 Star Lounge that will show off some great views of our home planet. Finally, all of you parents out there are invited to drop your kids off at the Kid's Zone for a space themed celebration while you all get a relaxing night out at our Dining Among the Stars event, which features delectable dishes prepared by BnL Gourmet Chef bots. The Kid's Zone is midship in Coach Class, and the adults only event is in the Forward Star Lounge."

Having gotten to the end of the list, Captain Flores looked back into the camera.

"I'm sure you're all excited to get out there and keep exploring the ship! Remember, if you ever need any help finding something or even making a dinner reservation, just locate the nearest Steward Kiosk and a bot will be happy to help. That's all for now! Have a great day everyone!"

The holo-screens faded back to their usual advertising and the Captain stepped away from the console.

"Autopilot," he commanded, prompting the wheel to move over to him on its rail system. "get the pool set up, please. I'm thinking people want to go for a dip."

"Aye-aye, sir."

Down on the Lido Deck, the smooth black covers that sat atop the massive swimming pool and the surrounding hot tubs began to slide open. The pool had to have been the size of at least a football field, maybe even larger. How else would half a million people each get some time in the water?

Back on the space side of the bridge, Captain Flores called up the course plotting system. The Autopilot was soon at his side again as he began charting their course to the Mercury/Venus orbit. They'd start off in a Venus orbit for a week, before having a week transition to another weeklong orbit around Mercury. The _Discovery_ would be very close to the sun, making for some great views for the passengers. As the Captain and Autopilot worked out how they were going to traverse the 260 million or so kilometers to Venus, the people aboard the _Discovery_ began enjoying the first full day of their five years in space. Hundreds of thousands of humans were running around the massive starliner, while hundreds of thousands more bots were floating between them, ready to serve at any moment. To everyone aboard the ship, it felt like humanity had already fixed the problems Earth was suffering from, and returning home was the last thing on their minds.


	12. Turn for the Worse

_April 2nd, 2107_

Captain Flores' alarm woke him at the usual time, 0700 hours. Groggily he allowed his service bots to prepare him for the day ahead before trudging up to the bridge. A cup of coffee, as always, sat waiting for him on one of the bridge consoles. As he sipped from it, he could feel alertness seeping into his body. After the cup was drained he found himself ready and awake to face the day.

"Computer, status report." he spoke aloud.

The familiar holo-screen jumped up and he began his daily conversation with the ship's computer.

"Mechanical systems?"

"Unchanged." the computer stated.

"Reactor core temperature?"

"Unchanged."

"Passenger count."

"Net gain of seven."

"Food service volume."

"3 percent increase."

"Jacuzzi pH balance."

"Unchanged."

"Laundry service volume."

"1.2 percent decrease."

The Captain nodded and turned away from the screens, only to find the Autopilot gliding towards him on its rail.

"What's the story, Auto?" he asked the wheel. Over the past two years he had warmed up to his circular companion, and had dropped the formality of calling it 'Autopilot.' Sadly, the robot remained as monotonous as ever.

"Annual Operation Cleanup report from headquarters expected at 0730 hours, Captain. Would you like me to alert you when it is received?"

The Captain nodded and Auto saluted him before heading back to its bridge interface. After placing his breakfast order with GO-4, Captain Flores wandered over to the Lido Deck side of the bridge to make the morning announcements.

As it had been for the past 730 mornings, his face appeared ship-wide for all to see.

"Good morning everybody! Welcome to day 730 aboard the _Discovery_! Today is our second anniversary since we departed Earth! As was the case last year, expect a great party tonight on the Lido Deck. If you can't make it down here, we'll have the music going in every dining room across the ship, so be sure to stop in for a dance and a slice of cake!"

The Captain grinned at the camera. The past two years had flown by faster than the _Discovery_ going into hyperjump, and he was so excited for the next three. Last year's report from Earth had been great, and the good news had been received immensely well by the passengers. He couldn't wait to share today's with everybody as well. More good news would only add to the festivities!

"As most of you probably remember, today is the day we'll be receiving our latest Operation Cleanup report from Earth! As soon as I hear from Mr. Forthright and team I'll let you all know just how much of that nasty trash has been picked up and thrown out back home. But until then, enjoy your day! We've got yet another great lineup of events today, including the semi finals for the women's doubles tennis competition! Come on down and cheer on your friends! We've also got a great-"

A blinking light on the console had momentarily broken the Captain's focus. It was the incoming transmission indicator, letting him know the report had been received from Earth. Looking back to the camera he smiled again.

"Well, looks like I'll have to cut this short folks. We've just gotten our report in from HQ so I'll go review that right away and be back soon to let you all know what it said! Have a great rest of your morning!" he waved as he faded away from the holo-screens.

Quickly he made his way over to the bridge computer terminal and ordered Auto to bring up the message. The BnL logo appeared accompanied by its famous jingle for a moment, before the camera faded in to Shelby Forthright standing at a podium.

" _Hey there captains and Autopilots! Shelby Forthright here with your second annual Operation Cleanup report. We've made a little less progress than last time, unfortunately, but are still going to be able to meet our 2110 deadline! So far regions 1 through 527 have had at least 42% of their trash cleared and we have begun incinerating in all regions across the planet. Our team here is doing a wonderful job at ensuring everything is running smoothly and we have rapidly been making up for the time we lost a few months ago due to some malfunctions with a few thousand WALL-E units. Some extra acidity in the rain that has been cropping up in coastal regions caused some mechanical issues with the bots, but we've rolled out new and hardier units in those areas that are quickly picking up the job."_

Captain Flores felt a bubble of worry rise up into his stomach. It wasn't terrible news, but it was the first setback they had encountered. He knew they were still on track to make it home on time, but just because he was confident didn't mean all of his passengers were. Even the tiniest amount of bad news could trigger a case of mass hysteria aboard the ship, and he couldn't even begin to think about how he'd handle that.

The numbers being read out by the man on screen were simply going in one ear and out the other at this point, as Captain Flores was too consumed with figuring out how he could put a positive spin on this report for the passengers. Only when he heard Mr. Forthright beginning to wrap up the message did he snap back to reality.

" _Well I suppose that about wraps it up. We're looking forward to hearing from all of you over the next few days as you send in your own annual reports. In the meantime, enjoy your vacation and have a margarita by the pool for me, haha! See you all real soon!"_

The logo and jingle were back, and soon the holo-screen disappeared. Captain Flores rubbed his chin, thinking about his next move. He had to report to the passengers right away, and then record his own report back to HQ. Pacing back and forth in front of the public address console, he went over his speech in his head.

With a heavy sigh, he turned back towards the console and called up the PA system. Everyone aboard had been waiting with bated breath for him to return to the holo-screens, and a wave of relief washed over the starliner's population when he did.

"Hello again, everyone! Just got word back from Earth. Sounds like things are still chugging along well! Everything is still set up for us to return in April of 2110, which means we've still got an awesome three years ahead of us to enjoy the wonders the solar system has to offer!"

Captain Flores adjusted his hat before continuing. Those who picked up on this began to feel a little nervous to hear what was coming next.

"One small thing, though. Some extra harsh conditions near the coastal regions of the planet caused damage to some fleets of bots, meaning that BnL had to roll out some new, hardier units. It was a bit of a set back, but I've been assured it's nothing major! No need to worry, folks." he smiled. It wasn't a smile that inspired confidence, though. His eyes betrayed him; a vacant stare that seemed preoccupied with worry.

"Alrighty, then. That's all from me for now. I'm going to go send off my own report back home and let you get back to enjoying the sun! Have a wonderful day, everybody."

He signed off and stepped back from the PA console. That went well, he thought. No one could panic after a nice address like that, right? Captain Flores nodded in agreement with himself, trying to push his anxieties aside. He went back to the computer terminal to record his own annual report.

Taking his place in front of the holo-screen, the Captain ordered Auto to begin the recording. Clearing his throat, he looked ahead into the display that was reflecting back the view of the camera.

"Captain Joel Flores of the _BnL Discovery_ , recording the ship's annual report on April 2nd, 2107. I've just received the report from headquarters on Earth and reported the contained info to the passengers of the ship. Despite the bad news in the report, there has not yet been any disturbance within the population of the _Discovery_. I am confident that the report was received well by all, and that there will be no issues in the future. As for news about the voyage, we have been adhering to our itinerary to the letter for the past two years, and have heard nothing but positive feedback from the passengers. Morale is high and all of our planned events have seen excellent attendance. We have not encountered anything unexpected during our travels, and have seen no issues with any of the ship's systems. All in all this year's report is much like last year's. The ship's Autopilot has been performing impeccably, and I often find myself hearing about issues after they have already been dealt with. My compliments to the BnL Artificial Intelligence team for their great work with the Autopilot program. That's all from me for now. We all look forward to next year's report, and hope things are going well on Earth! Captain Flores, signing off."

The Captain nodded and the display shut off. Now his recording was flying through space at light speed, ready to be watched by the team back on Earth. Captain Flores wondered what is was like there now. He was certain it was immeasurably worse than when they had left, and that he would not like to be living there right now, but part of him was curious to see just how bad the planet was. Maybe BnL was just under-promising so they could overdeliver later? Maybe they'd be home sooner than 2110! He smiled at the thought. It was wonderful being in space and exploring the solar system, but in all honesty the bridge and his quarters had begun to feel a bit cramped. Even the sky dome was beginning to lose its ability to make him feel like he was outside. Getting back to real blue sky and fresh air was something he was looking forward to more every day.


	13. Change in Itinerary

_April 2nd, 2110_

"Good morning everyone! And welcome to day 1826 aboard the _Discovery_! Today is the final day of our five year cruise, as I'm sure you all know! Wow! Can you believe it's already time to head back home? I know these last few years have been a bit worrisome, what with the setbacks the Operation Cleanup team has been facing, but they pulled through and kept us on schedule! How about a round of applause for those working hard back home on Earth?"

Captain Flores began to clap, and so did the hundreds of thousands of people watching him on their holo-screens. The Captain had changed a lot over the last five years. When he left Earth he was just an underemployed guy from Los Angeles looking for something new to do. Now he had a five year command under his belt, and hopes that he would be able to stay on as a starliner commander after they got back to Earth.

His smile hid his worries about their return well. The last few annual reports had only gotten worse since the one in 2107, and for awhile it had looked like their return would be delayed. Fortunately, last year's report had assured them that even if the Earth wasn't in tip-top shape, it was going to be more than habitable for everyone to come back on time. Despite the repeated insistence from BnL that everything would be fine, Captain Flores had been feeling concerned that not everything was what it seemed. Despite that, he still had to maintain his positive demeanor for the passengers - even if he was anxious about what the final report would contain when he received it momentarily.

"As for the ship's itinerary today, we have another day in orbit around fabulous Neptune. We have our Welcome Home Celebration tonight ship-wide at 1800 hours as well! I hope you're all getting packed up, since first thing tomorrow morning we're heading back to Earth to get you all set up to head back home! From myself and Auto, thank you for a wonderful five years in space. It has been a pleasure commanding this voyage, and I hope we will see you again for another space cruise!"

The Captain nodded and smiled at the camera in front of him, and ended the announcement. His smile quickly faded to a determined expression. It was time to get to work.

"Auto? When is the final report expected from HQ?"

"Approximately fifteen minutes, sir." the wheel responded.

"Good. Let's batten down the hatches then. Schedule the Lido Deck to be closed early tonight at 1600 to let the party get set up. Also make sure to close down the laundry service after lunch. Start sending out info on hover chair returns to passenger cabins, and make sure we deal with those bots down in the repair ward."

Auto saluted the Captain. "Aye-aye, sir." it confirmed as it whizzed away to begin its work.

"Good." Captain Flores nodded, clasping his hands behind his back. He began to stroll along the perimeter of the bridge, glancing over the bevy of controls laid out on the consoles. In the half decade he had been commanding this ship he still wasn't sure he had touched every button there was. The sheer size of the _Discovery_ meant there was no way one human could ever command her alone, and thankfully Auto had been there to offer assistance. Still, it was an exhausting job to oversee such a massive ship.

It hadn't been all work, though. The Captain had had a chance to relax by the pool, catch up on some television in his free time, and even work on his golf swing. By the time they were home he'd be ready to hit the driving range again.

As he did every morning, Captain Flores looked down on the Lido Deck. Hundreds of people sat in hover chairs lounging in the sun, and hundreds more were taking a swim in the pool or relaxing in the hot tubs. Overhead the BnL branded sun still shone amongst the digital clouds, and thousands of advertisements adorned every surface of Coach Class which was just visible in the distance.

"Captain, incoming message from headquarters." Auto stated from behind him. Promptly the Captain turned and made for the computer terminal. Auto pulled up the broadcast.

The BnL logo appeared and the jingle played before fading to a clearly disheveled Shelby Forthright. Captain Flores was taken aback at his appearance, something had definitely gone wrong.

" _Hey there, captains and Autopilots! Shelby here with your final Operation Cleanup report. As you may have gathered, things haven't been going so great back here on Earth. Unfortunately we are going to have to delay your return in order to give the planet some time to recover. As we cannot currently predict when it will be able to safely support life, I am giving the order to implement the Extraterrestrial Vegetation Survey Program. I don't have time to give the details now, but the short version is each of your ships will begin sending probes back to Earth each year to search for ongoing plant life. If it is discovered, a sample will be brought back and your ship will return to Earth. Your Autopilots can give you more information."_

Captain Flores turned to Auto, brow furrowed in confusion. The red glowing eye simply stared back at him before they both turned back to the screen.

" _We know it will be difficult for your passengers to understand this, which is why you must tell them this news in a very careful manner. On tomorrow's morning announcements, for some of you that is the morning of the original return date, please use the script that has been sent to you along with this video. Assure people that we at Buy n Large are still doing everything we can to get them home as soon as possible, and feel free to report the findings of the annual surveys once they begin. This will be difficult for both you and the people aboard your ship to take in, and if there is any trouble please consult your Autopilot for how to keep people calm. The starliners have a wide variety of activities and events to keep people relaxed through all of this, so make sure they take advantage of them."_

A faint red light illuminated Mr. Forthright's face, and began to blink. The CEO lost his focus and a momentary look of panic flickered onto his face. Quickly he regained his composure and continued.

" _Alright, then. Thank you for your cooperation in these tough times. We will continue to send quarterly updates once our executive team is in orbit. If you have any questions, please ask your Autopilots. We hope to see you all back on Earth soon."_

Mr. Forthright smiled. The sort of smile that you knew was supposed to comfort you, but really just made you realize how bad the situation was. The holo-screen disappeared, and Captain Flores placed his hand over his mouth in disbelief.

"I- I need to sit down." he said quietly.

A hoverchair floated out of the elevator to the bridge and the Captain perched on the edge of it, holding his head in his hands. He had feared this, but had never thought it would be this terrible. An indefinite delay to their return was not something he could just tell people and expect them to be okay with. How in the hell was he supposed to keep things under control now?

"Auto I- I don't know what to do." he stammered.

The wheel moved closer. "The passengers must be informed tomorrow as ordered. The script provided by headquarters will be used to convey the information necessary."

The Captain nodded, looking down to the floor. Should they cancel the party tonight? Or was it better to let people believe they were still going home tomorrow? Sitting in silence for a while, watched by Auto, he made up his mind. The ship would stick to schedule as planned until tomorrow's announcements, when he would read the script given to him by BnL. After that, he and Auto would have to play it by ear. There was no way to predict how people would react, but he knew it wouldn't be pleasant.

"Good morning, everybody! Welcome to day 1827 aboard the _Discovery_. Now, as you all know, today is the day we're scheduled to head back home. But yesterday BnL sent along some new information that has changed our itinerary."

The Captain was reading, word for word, the script on the holo-screen in front of him. It was simple, really. Typical corporate sugar-coating.

"The air on Earth has gotten a lot more toxic than BnL could have predicted, meaning it's not safe for us to go back just yet. Because of the high levels of pollution it is impossible for BnL to tell when it will be safe to head home, so we have to delay our return until Earth can be confirmed as livable. In order to get that confirmation, the _Discovery_ and other starliners will start sending annual missions to Earth to search for plant life. If we find a plant, it will come back to the ship and we'll head back home! Easy, right?"

He almost rolled his eyes at the sheer audacity of what he had just said.

"So until then we're going to continue our cruise. BnL apologizes profusely for this inconvenience, and wants to assure you they are doing everything they can to make sure we get home soon. If you need any more information, please speak to a Steward! They're always happy to help. If you need ideas for how to keep busy while we wait to get word that Earth is safe again, check out the ship's itinerary on your in-cabin holo-screen. Thank you for your understanding, and thank you for being loyal BnL customers!"

The script ended, and Captain Flores looked out at his passengers through the holo-screen. He didn't speak, but the look in his eyes said it all. He didn't know when they'd be going home, and neither did BnL.


	14. Relieved of Duty

_2194 AD_

89 years was too long to be in space, Captain Flores had decided. He had been lucky and had only been stuck in his hoverchair for the past seven. Many passengers who had already been elderly when they boarded in 2105 had been confined to the floating recliners for decades as the effects of micro-gravity reduced their bone mass.

89 years was also too long to command a ship, which is why today he was passing the torch on to a promising young woman. Erica Moreno had just turned twenty, and had been selected by the ship's computer as most qualified for command. She had shown natural leadership abilities all her life, had great technical skills, and was young enough to be mobile without a chair. The perfect candidate for what had become merely a figurehead position.

Sitting in his chair in front of the bridge elevator, waiting for his replacement to arrive, Captain Flores reflected on his first and only command. The first five years, the ones that had been planned down to the minute, had been great. He mingled with the passengers, charted their course through the stars, and ensured everything ran smoothly aboard the ship. But something had happened after that final report from HQ in 2110.

Slowly he had begun to feel like he had less to do. Suddenly the course was charting itself, ship's events were being planned and executed without him being notified, even his breakfast was showing up every morning without him asking GO-4 to get it. For the last decade his morning routine had consisted of waking up, making the morning announcements, and watching entertainment programming in his cabin. Auto had been doing everything, and only now was the Captain beginning to have suspicions it wasn't just due to efficiency upgrades.

A light blinked on above the elevator doors, and they soon slid open. Erica Moreno stood inside, already wearing the white Captain's jumpsuit. She saluted Captain Flores, and he did the same to her.

"Permission to enter the bridge, Captain?" she asked excitedly.

Captain Flores nodded without speaking. Decades of the daily grind had stamped out any excitement he felt for his job, and soon enough the same would happen to Erica.

Smiling, the young woman stepped onto the bridge and up to the Captain. Auto moved into view and saluted the both of them.

"Captain Joel Flores, you are hereby relieved of your duty as Captain of the _BnL_ _Discovery_. Buy n Large thanks you for your service and wishes you all the best in retirement." the wheel spoke in its cold voice. It turned to Erica.

"Erica Moreno. Buy n Large hereby gives you the position of Captain of the _BnL Discovery_. Captain Flores, please relinquish command of the vessel."

Captain Flores nodded, and slowly removed his hat. He held it out to Erica, who took it and placed it on her head. A bosun's whistle sounded and she stood to attention. Joel Flores shifted upwards in his seat a bit as well.

Auto saluted the new Captain of the ship, as well as Joel. Promptly Captain Moreno moved to the front of the bridge for her portrait to be taken. GO-4 appeared and positioned itself in front of her. Auto descended into view behind her, and the photo was taken. It quickly appeared downstairs on the wall, next to a nearly identical portrait of Joel and Auto. The sole difference, besides the Captain, was Auto's position in the frame. The wheel had moved closer to the camera, filling more space behind the Captain's shoulder. Joel noticed this as he floated around his old quarters collecting his personal effects. He stopped to look at the portrait for a moment. This was it. This was the future of humanity.

The elevator opened behind him and Captain Moreno stepped out.

"Ah, Mr. Flores, you're still here. I was just going to have a bot move my things in. Will you be much longer?"

Joel turned his chair around to face her. "No, I was just leaving. It's about time for lunch, I figure."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

This is the final chapter of part 2, sorry it's been such a long time coming! Apologies that it's shorter than most of the other chapters; I've had it sitting on my computer for quite awhile and with my busy school schedule have not had the time to edit or flesh it out any more. At this point I want to get this entire story down on paper and publish it here, and I hope to have part 3 done over the next few months during summer holidays.


	15. Part 3

Part 3

 _Familial Connections_

I think anybody who goes away finds you appreciate home more when you return.

\- Yo-Yo Ma


	16. Vacation Plans

_2103 AD_

Bill Pender stood on platform 17 of the Downtown BnL Transit Terminal waiting for the train. He'd been called to five different Buy n Large Home Automation Outlets to repair malfunctioning sales bots today, and wanted nothing more than to sit down on the couch with his kids and watch some television. He knew it was good that he still had a job that required some skill, but part of him looked forward to being transitioned into a management position when a bot took over the manual labour he was charged with daily.

The train glided into the station and came to a stop, floating above the tracks. The doors slid open and the crowd on the platform began to shuffle inside, Bill included. Awkwardly taking a spot squished between an elderly woman and someone's butler bot, he sat down and pulled out his mobile phone to check the news.

Apparently BnL had scheduled a major announcement for this evening. The only information given with the press release had been the tagline 'Trust us, it's out of this world' superimposed onto what looked like a map of the solar system. It was obvious it had something to do with the luxury space tours the company had been testing for a few years, and even though he'd never be able to afford one Bill planned to tune in and see what it was all about. He vaguely remembered when he was young and had heard stories of the first person to walk on the moon. How crazy was it that just a handful of decades later humanity would be reaching out into space as easily as they could drive to the nearest mall.

" _The next station is... Sherman Way."_

Bill stood up from the bench seat of the train and his place was immediately taken by another person. He fought through the passengers of the train to get out the door on to the platform, and made his way up the escalator to street level.

The rapid expansion Los Angeles had seen since Buy n Large had taken over the US government was immense. What used to be a smaller area of the city full of low-rise apartment towers and auto repair shops was now comparable to the heart of the city itself. Bill only had to walk a half block before he arrived at his apartment building, and once the bot that guarded the door had let him inside it was a quick elevator ride up to the 27th floor.

Unlocking and opening the door of apartment 27-282, he was immediately attacked by his daughter Eliza.

"Dad! You're home!" the 11 year old beamed up at her father.

Bill ruffled her hair. "I am! How was your day at school?"

"Fine." Eliza said as he went back to the kitchen table to finish a juice box. "The teacher started teaching us about different kinds of trees today. We have a field trip soon to the museum to go look at some of them."

Bill nodded as he took off his shoes and jacket. Quickly a service bot was at his side to take them away and store them in the hall closet. "Very cool. Did you get a form for me to sign?"

Eliza made an 'mm hmm' noise as she drank her juice and pointed to her homework binder on the counter. Bill opened it up and pulled out the paper-thin electronic display panel that contained the field trip permission form. Grabbing a stylus from a nearby pen cup he scrawled his signature on the field at the bottom and tapped 'Agree.' A green check mark appeared to indicate his consent had been sent to the school.

"Hey dad, how was work?"

Bill turned around to see his 17 year old son, James, standing in the hallway. "Busy! Five separate malfunctions are different stores today. I've been running around like a rat in a maze."

James came into the kitchen and sat down next to his sister. He pulled out his phone and started typing on it. "Cool. So uh, what's the plan for dinner? Tyler's wondering if I can come over to his place."

Bill shook his head and smiled. "You know you can't eat dinner at your boyfriend's house every night, right? Sometimes we have to spend time together as a family."

James looked up from his phone. "Oh come on dad, I had dinner with you guys last night AND the night before. Please can I go?"

"Not tonight James, sorry. I'll have the bot make your favorite, grandma's mac and cheese. Sound good?"

James pouted and put his phone down on the table. "I guess..." he sighed.

Bill gave the service bot its orders and left the kitchen to change out of his work clothes. He came back a few minutes later and the kids were on the couch watching the television as the bot bustled around in the kitchen. He sat down next to them and looked to the screen.

" _... is expected to make a major announcement tonight at the New York Corporate Theatre. The company's CEO himself, Shelby Forthright, is rumored to be the one to give the presentation, leading many to believe it is of substantial importance. We will be covering the event life when it commences tonight at 6:30pm. For BnL Global News, I'm Clarence Tucker."_

Bill checked his watch. It was already quarter to six! They'd have to eat quickly if they wanted to catch the presentation.

"What do you think they're going to announce, dad?" James asked from his spot at the other end of the couch.

"I heard it's gonna be a new robot!" Eliza said excitedly. "One that will cut your hair and brush your teeth for you. If it is can we get one, dad? Please?"

Bill chuckled. "Maybe, if that's what it is. I think it has something to do with the space tours. Maybe they're going to launch the first public one soon?"

Eliza's eyes widened in awe. "Can we go to space then dad?" she asked.

Bill smiled, and was about to come up with an excuse for why they couldn't without admitting he didn't have the money, when the bot in the kitchen floated over to them to state that dinner was ready.

Soon the family was sitting at their kitchen table, digging into mac and cheese with some coleslaw on the side. The conversation over dinner was minimal, and soon the plates had been cleared and loaded into the dishwasher by the service bot. Taking their places back on the couch, Bill turned on the television just in time to catch the beginning of the BnL presentation.

The camera moved in to center on a simple stage containing a wooden podium. Behind, projected on a large screen, was the blue and red BnL logo.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your Buy n Large Global CEO, Shelby Forthright!"_ a voice boomed on screen.

The camera panned to the left and Shelby Forthright appeared, dressed in his trademark suit adorned with a BnL lapel pin. He waved at an unseen crowd as the room filled with cheers and applause. The Pender family clapped and cheered as well at the sight of the most important man in the world. Quickly, Mr. Forthright took his place behind the podium and began to speak.

" _Thank you! Thank you all so much! Hello to all of you here in person, and the billions of you worldwide watching at home! We here at BnL are excited to announce something great to you all this evening. Something we have been working on for the past year the we just know you will all love! Before I get into the details though, how's about a little video to drum up some excitement?"_

Mr. Forthright gestured to the screen behind him as he stepped away from the podium. On the screen the BnL logo faded to a massive starscape. A faint rumbled could be heard from off camera, and slowly a massive ship began to drift into view. It was one of the starliners Buy n Large had been developing for their space tours program, just like so many people had suspected.

As the ship began to drift out of the frame, the camera pulled back to reveal hundreds more. Flying in formation, the massive starliners began to catapult away at insane speeds at they went into hyperjump. As the last ship jumped away, the Buy n Large logo reappeared, along with the slogan 'Bringing the galaxy to your doorstep'.

Mr. Forthright was back at his podium, smiling at his audience. " _Now I'm sure many of you expected that, but we've got a few other great surprises coming up that will knock your socks off!"_

Behind him, a slideshow began. Mr. Forthright began to detail the amenities the luxury starliners would offer to their passengers. Tennis courts, all you can eat buffets, relaxing spa treatments, everything you could ever want. All of it would be accessible from a new product they were calling the BnL All-Access Hover Chair. An adaptation of the company's mobility assistance products, the hover chair would allow passengers aboard the starliners to traverse the ship and take part in any of its activities all without standing up; perfect for the elderly or those who just needed a break.

Finally, they reached the point in the presentation where ticket cost would be discussed. Bill began to brace himself for the figure that was about to appear on screen.

" _Alright, then. I'm sure all of you are wondering how much it's gonna cost you and your families to get on board one of these wonderful starliners, not to mention how long the waiting list is! Well I have some great news for you! Thanks to the fantastic advancements we have made with our manufacturing processes we will soon have enough capacity to send the entire population of Earth on one of our luxury space tours at once! How great is that?"_

The audience began to cheer again. James looked to Bill in shock.

"They must have thousands of those things!" he exclaimed.

Bill nodded and turned back to the television. "Crazy how fast they can build them." He was saving his excitement until he had determined how much overtime he'd have to work to save for even one ticket.

" _But of course, what good would all that space be without the people to fill it? We here at BnL know that things aren't quite as clean and nice around here as they used to be. We've all seen the garbage that has piled up around cities, and no one likes dealing with that smell that's in the air! That's why we are pleased to announce that in 2105, just two years from now, Buy n Large will be giving each and every one of our customers a free ticket aboard one of our luxury starliners for a five year vacation to space!"_

Bill almost fainted in shock. Everyone!? Everyone was getting a ticket. The crowd at the theatre was silent for a moment, then went absolutely berserk. Eliza screamed loudly, and James' face was contorted into a mix of shock and excitement. On screen, Mr. Forthright was smiling widely. This was exactly the reaction he was expecting, it seemed. After a few moments, he raised his hand and the crowd quieted down, wondering what else there could be to say after such an insane announcements.

" _Now there is one more thing. While you're all away we have a great plan to spruce up the planet a bit. We've developed a new line of bots that will help us collect and compact trash from every corner of the world, and by the time you all get home Earth will be just like new! We're all super excited for you to get out there and explore the cosmos, and I'd like to roll one of our new ads that we'll be playing very soon to advertise what we're calling the 'Exodus Space Program'."_

Again, Mr. Forthright stepped aside and the screen faded to an orbital shot of Earth. Brown and polluted, the camera quickly panned away from the ugly planet to cut through various shots of galaxies and starscapes. A female voice began to speak.

" _Since the beginning of time, humankind was looked up in wonder to the stars and dreamed of one day exploring distant galaxies."_

The BnL logo appeared again on a black background. The voice continued.

" _Finally that day is here. Buy n Large is proud to announce the Buy n Large Exodus Space Program! A complimentary five year vacation for all the people of Earth to enjoy, while we take care of the dirty work. You and your family will enjoy fabulous views of the greater solar system, partake in fun onboard activities, and enjoy the finest dining experiences in the Milky Way."_

On screen, various shots of people dressed in red BnL jumpsuits enjoying their time aboard a starliner were shown. Bill still couldn't believe he and his kids would get to experience all that for free!

" _The Exodus Space Program launches Spring 2105. Watch for your brochure in the mail, or visit your local Buy n Large Customer Information Center for more info. Buy n Large - everything you need to be happy!"_

The camera focused again on Mr. Forthright. " _Thank you all so much for being here today! We're so excited to get the Exodus Space Program underway, and as you heard we will be sending out more information soon. In the meantime, head on down to your local BnL Ultrastore and get shopping for some sunblock! Thank you all again!"_

He waved and began to walk off stage. The BnL logo faded back in and Bill broke his focus from the television. Eliza had already leapt off the couch and dashed to her room, where he could hear her frantically rummaging through her closet for a suitcase. James turned to his father.

"Well, I guess that'll be a pretty good nineteenth birthday present!" he joked.

Bill laughed, and turned back to the television. He waved his hand horizontally in the air and the screen shut off.


	17. Boarding Call

_April 2nd, 2105 AD_

"Come on kids! We have to be downtown soon and I don't want to get stuck in traffic!" Bill yelled as he placed two more suitcases by the front door of the apartment.

Eliza came running down the hall carrying a large stuffed bear toy. "Dad, can I bring this with us?"

Bill turned around from inspecting the large assortment of suitcases that were being taken away by a service bot to see his daughter trying to fit the oversized animal into a small plastic bag.

"Sweetie, I already told you you have enough of those packed! There's no more room in any of the bags.

Eliza pouted and shuffled back to her room, bear dragging along the floor behind her. James appeared next, placing his final bag onto the pile.

"I think that's everything, dad. You're sure I can just leave my dresser full of clothes?" he asked.

Bill nodded. "The cleanup crew will be through tonight to pack everything up and put it in our storage locker. It'll be fine!" he assured.

James nodded, still looking slightly worried. "Alright. I'm just going to go make one last check then call Tyler. When are we leaving?"

"As soon as your sister makes up her mind about what teddy bear to bring, it seems."

James laughed and went back to his room. The service bot floated back into the apartment and picked up two more bags. Bill watched it float down the hall towards the elevator to the parking garage. He checked his watch. It was already 8am, and they had to be at the terminal by 9:30. The process of packing had taken weeks, even though they didn't need to bring any clothes or essentials along. In addition to choosing which personal items they wanted to bring to space with them, the family had had to catalogue everything in their apartment so one of BnL's cleanup crews could come through to take them to a secure storage locker. When they returned in 2110 all of their belongings would be delivered back to their home.

Eliza came back down the hallway, this time carrying a much more sensibly sized stuffed animal. She was followed by James who was just saying goodbye to Tyler.

"Yeah! Yeah, I'll call you when we're in our cabin as soon as I can! Bye!" James took his phone away from his ear and hung up.

Bill watched the service bot take the last two bags away, and turned to his kids. "Alright! Are we ready to go then?"

James and Eliza smiled and nodded. They headed out into the hall of the apartment building and Bill followed them. As he closed the door he took one last look around the place they had called home for the past decade. He sighed, filled with a sudden sadness. Five years was a long time to be away, but as long as he had his family with him he would feel at home no matter where he was. Bill closed the door and locked it.

The Pender family car pulled up to a toll booth at the entrance to the massive underground parking garage of the BnL Los Angeles Spaceport. A service bot in the booth directed them to park on a small platform and proceed out of their vehicle to a bank of elevators. As they waited for the lift, three service bots unloaded their bags from the car and took them away. Once empty, the car was whisked away into the depths of the garage to be securely stored until they returned in 2110.

The elevator arrived and the Pender family stepped inside. The car automatically began ascending rapidly through a dark, vertical tunnel. After a mere thirty seconds or so, it arrived with a soft _ding_ and the doors slid open again. Bill, James, and Eliza stepped out into a massive lobby full of other passengers. Directed into the shortest line by a bot, the family waited to be served at the check-in desk. After nearly an hour, it was finally their turn.

A sleek bot greeted them with a smile displayed on a panel intended to be its face.

"Welcome! Please place your boarding passes on the desk." it requested in an almost human female voice.

Bill nodded and retrieved the three pieces of digital paper from his inside jacket pocket. Placing them on the desk, they were read by an unseen sensor in its surface and almost instantly verified.

"Thank you Mr. Pender!" the bot chirped. "You and your family have been assigned a Coach class cabin. If you are interested, we still have some First class cabins available for an additional fee."

Eliza looked excitedly to her father. James also didn't seem opposed to the idea of an upgrade. Bill was less enthusiastic.

"How, uh. How much is the upgrade?" he inquired nervously.

"A flat rate free of 3500 credits per passenger, sir." the bot informed him.

He did the math. That was over 10000 credits! "I'm sorry, but not today, thanks."

Eliza looked to the floor, disappointed. James shrugged.

"That's alright, sir! If you change your mind feel free to inquire once aboard the ship. We may still be able to accommodate upgrades at that time."

Bill was asked to sign a digital agreement form and to ensure that everything was in order. He signed his name and the form was taken by the bot.

"Enjoy your vacation!" the bot said as the family left the desk.

Signage directed them through a hall out of the check-in area to the waiting room. A set of frosted glass doors slid open to reveal another massive space with walls made almost entirely of glass. Through the windows, the massive starliner they were going to be boarding could be seen. Eliza immediately ran up to the nearest pane and stared up at the ship. James and Bill joined her.

The _BnL Discovery_ sat in her dock, ready to leave Earth within the next few hours. The Penders were in awe at the size of the massive ship. Hundreds of bots could be seen flying around it, checking over exterior lights and windows, ensuring everything would go smoothly once they were on board.

After watching the preparations for a while, the family wandered over to one of the bench seats and sat down. The room was steadily filling up with more and more people waiting to board. Bill checked the time again. It was nearly 10:30. Boarding started soon, and the apprehension was almost visible in the air.

Suddenly, a chime sounded from concealed speakers.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding passes ready and proceed to the door that matches the designation on them. Thank you."_

On the opposite side of the room from which they had entered, the wall slid down to reveal a long line of doors numbered by holo-screens. Bill checked their passes and quickly found door A7. "Come on kids!" he said excitedly and the three of them stood up and began to shuffle across the room with the crowd.

At the door, another bot scanned their passes and directed them down a long glass-walled bridge. It sloped downwards, leading them back to ground level. They made they way down it and across one of the concrete pathways built around the dock of the _Discovery_. After ascending an escalator, they were finally inside the ship.

A small hallway with a low ceiling led them to a massive bank of elevators that stretched far to both sides. Again, they were numbered and the Pender family made for the one labelled A7. The lift began to move up as soon as the doors sealed them inside, and after changing directions an uncountable number of times, opened to reveal a hallway. The walls were glossy white, and the floor a polished black. The whole place was brightly lit by white lighting, and it took their eyes a moment to adjust. Both sides of the hall were lined with cabin doors, and Bill consulted their passes again to check for their room number. To his surprise the digital paper was now pointing them to the left with a bright green arrow. As he turned to face the proper direction, the arrow spun like a compass to continue guiding them. Grinning widely, he waved to his kids and they made their way down the hall.

The door to cabin C3-427 looked exactly like its neighbours. It opened as soon as Bill stepped in front of it, and the family stepped inside. It was a modest living space. The door opened into a small entryway complete with a coat closet that led into the main living room. A couch and two arm chairs surrounded a glass coffee table, and a holo-screen was on the wall displaying the BnL logo. Two doors on the right side of the room led to the children's bedrooms, and one on the left led to the master for Bill. The opposite side of the room from the entry had a door to the bathroom and a small bar stocked with glasses and a variety of beverages was built into the wall. The whole room was carpeted with a dark blue plush covering, save for the polished black tile of the bathroom.

Eliza immediately made for her bedroom and flopped down on the bed, giggling. James wandered around, inspecting the room, and Bill checked out the bar.

"Where are our bags?" James asked as he looked inside the entryway closet.

"Mine are in here!" Eliza shouted from her bedroom. James and Bill both found their belongings inside their respective rooms as well. Folded on each bed was a red Buy n Large jumpsuit, with a welcome brochure placed on top of it. James promptly put his on and went back into the living room, reading aloud from the brochure.

"This Buy n Large Action Wear Jumpsuit will allow the ship to track the precise location of every passenger, as well as enable you to enter your cabin and make purchases without the need for identification cards. Each passenger is given 10 Action Wear Jumpsuits, and laundry services are available 24/7 aboard every starliner."

Bill and Eliza joined him in the living room, each wearing their suits as well.

"I guess I could get used to this..." Bill thought out loud as he looked himself over.

"It's like the thing I had to wear for gymnastics." Eliza mused, doing the same.

James continued reading from another page of the brochure. "Every BnL starliner is equipped with a wide variety of amenities for passengers to enjoy. Try your hand at a game of golf, relax by one of the many pools, or have a wonderful night out at a variety of restaurants. There's something for everyone!"

"Sounds like we've got a busy five years ahead!" Bill said, smiling.

"Yeah! I want to go to the pool!" Eliza said, jumping onto the couch.

"It says here that on launch day nothing is open yet, though. Looks like tomorrow is the first day we get to go out and explore." James said.

Eliza crossed her arms, upset. "What do we do now then?"

As if responding to her, the holo-screen on the wall chimed.

" _Attention passengers!"_ a slightly robotic female voice said. " _We are now beginning preparations for launch. Please ensure you are seated and direct your attention to the holo-screen in your cabin."_

Bill and James joined Eliza on the couch and the three of them leaned in to the screen. A few moments later, it faded to a shot of a small stage. In the distance the _Discovery_ could be seen as Shelby Forthright walked to the center of the frame.

The Pender family began to clap and cheer, as did the crowd behind the camera. Mr. Forthright waved from behind the podium he was standing at.

" _Thank you! Thank you all for being here today!"_ he said as the crowd began to quiet down.

" _We have come a long way since I took the reigns of Buy n Large in 2082. In those 23 years we have cured disease, revolutionized every industry on Earth, and given everyone the right to a comfortable life!"_

Cheers and applause again. The _Discovery_ was almost shaking as her passengers yelled and clapped.

" _In recent years, we have faced some tough times and difficult challenges, but today is the day that everything changes! We are again revolutionizing the world and giving you all the life you deserve. Behind me is the BnL Discovery, our first luxury starliner to launch as part of our Exodus Space Program. Over these next few weeks each and every one of you will board your own starliner and take off towards a fabulous five year vacation amongst the stars. We here at BnL hope that you enjoy this experience as much as we have enjoyed creating it for you, and when you get back we'll have a nice clean planet for you to enjoy all over again!"_

The female voice began to speak over the camera feed.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, we are now beginning the launch sequence. Please remain seated until your are instructed it is safe you move about the ship. Thank you."_

The ship began to rumble, and Eliza grabbed onto her father's arm. The rumbling turned to shaking as Mr. Forthright turned back from looking at the ship.

" _And with that, I want you all to join me in wishing the passengers and crew of the Discovery 'bon voyage!' Safe travels to you all!"_ he said before turning back again and waving to the _Discovery_ as the launch boosters fired.

The feed cut out and the holo-screen began displaying information on the ship's progress in launching. Their altitude slowly began to climb, as did their speed. Eliza held on to her father tighter, and Bill looked down at her and smiled. "It's alright, Eliza. Just like taking off in a plane."

"Except this plane is going into space." James remarked, eliciting a glare from Bill as Eliza squeaked fearfully.

Sitting together on the couch, the Pender family watched as their holo-screen informed them they were beginning to leave the atmosphere. Soon, the rumbling of the launch boosters faded away, and the screen returned to the BnL logo. The female voice was back.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, orbit has been achieved and you are now free to move about your cabins. Please stand by for further instructions regarding safety briefings and information on ship amenities. Thank you."_

Eliza removed herself from Bill and jumped up from the couch, running to the door. Rather than opening as had been promised by the brochure, it buzzed and stayed shut.

" _Please wait for Captain's authorization to exit your cabin."_ the voice informed her.

Bill chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be able to head out soon." he said as Eliza sat back down next to him. Another chime sounded from the holo-screen, and a man appeared wearing a captain's hat. Behind him was the familiar Autopilot that had been the subject of so many ad campaigns in the last few years.

The Captain smiled. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain Speaking. Welcome aboard the _BnL Discovery_! I am Captain Joel Flores, the commanding officer of this ship. I know you're all eager to get out there and explore, and I don't want to keep you waiting, but first you all need to be informed about how to get around safely and what to do in case of an emergency. This ship is equipped with life pods that, in the event of an emergency, will allow us to made a safe escape back to Earth. It is near impossible that such an emergency will occur, but if it does, you will be informed by the ship's computer to abandon ship and be directed to the nearest elevator to the life pod deck. Across the ship are what we call 'Steward Kiosks'. These docking bays are home to perhaps the most important bot on the ship, besides the Autopilot of course, Stewards! These helpful bots can give you directions, make dinner reservations, or even relay messages to other passengers. If you ever need help, please locate the nearest Steward and ask! Finally, for those of you interested in the BnL All Access Hover Chair, please use your in-cabin computer panel located by your main door to request delivery of one. I'm very glad to be your Captain on this voyage, and hope you are just as excited as I am to get out there and explore the cosmos. Without further ado, thank you for your attention, and have a great day!"

The display shut off, and Eliza shot up from hear seat again. Running over to the door, she didn't even have to stop before it opened and let her out into the hallway. Turning around at James and Bill, she smiled before taking off away from the room. James looked to his dad, before standing up and chasing after her. Bill smiled and did the same.


	18. Exploration

_April 3, 2105 AD_

Bill was jolted awake when Eliza jumped on top of him at 7:30 in the morning.

"DAD! Wake up! I want to go to to poooooool!"

Bill struggled to sit up in bed as his daughter lay on top of him. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and tried to focus on the clock on the nightstand.

"Eliza! It's only 7:30! There's no way anything is open yet!"

Elize hopped back down to the floor and pouted. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the PA chime.

" _Good morning everybody, and welcome to day one aboard the Discovery! You already heard from me yesterday shortly after launch, but in case you've forgotten, I'm Captain Joel Flores, the commanding officer of this ship."_

Bill was more awake now, and got out of bed to follow Eliza back into the main room of their cabin. James was already there, watching Captain Flores on the holo-screen.

" _We have a wonderful itinerary for you all today! This is our first and only day in Earth orbit before we head off to our first destination; a three week Mercury/Venus tour during which we will get closer to the sun than any other human-piloted ship has before! Don't worry though, the air conditioning will keep you nice and cool."_

The doors to the three bedrooms slid shut shut, unnoticed by the Penders. Inside a small army of service bots began to remake the beds and tidy up.

" _First off, we have a great classic breakfast menu for you in the dining areas today. Who doesn't love some bacon and eggs, right? After the announcements Lido Deck pool will be up and running so you can all dive right in for a swim as well. We also have some great beginner's training sessions at the tennis courts and the driving range for those of you who want to pick up a new sport. Later today there's an 'Earth History' show in the Deck 11 Star Lounge that will show off some great views of our home planet. Finally, all of you parents out there are invited to drop your kids off at the Kid's Zone for a space themed celebration while you all get a relaxing night out at our Dining Among the Stars event, which features delectable dishes prepared by BnL Gourmet Chef bots. The Kid's Zone is midship in Coach Class, and the adults only event is in the Forward Star Lounge."_

At the mention of the pool Eliza was visible vibrating from excitement. She had begun to inch towards the door of the cabin.

" _I'm sure you're all excited to get out there and keep exploring the ship! Remember, if you ever need any help finding something or even making a dinner reservation, just locate the nearest Steward Kiosk and a bot will be happy to help. That's all for now! Have a great day everyone!"_

Bill turned away from the holo-screen.

"Well! Whaddaya say we go get a bite from-"

Eliza had already left the cabin. Bill looked to James for some sort of explanation, but he just shook his head. Quickly they both followed her down the hall.

The journey to the Lido Deck had been quick. Despite the massive size of the _Discovery_ , a fast network of elevators and people-mover systems had allowed the Pender family to reach the pool in mere minutes. All around them people lounged on hover chairs under the massive digital sun, and many more were already swimming around in the huge pool. Eliza stopped for a minute to gaze around at everything, then looked back to her father. Bill nodded and she took off towards the pool.

Bill and James got set up on a few vacant chairs, and within the minute a bot was by to see if they wanted anything to eat or drink. It was still early, so they both asked for something for breakfast and the bot quickly hovered away to fulfill their request.

Partway through their meal of pancakes and eggs, Eliza returned from the pool wrapped in a towel to join them. The three spent a few moments enjoying their food and marvelling at everything around them.

Hundreds of bots were floating amongst the pool-goers, which numbered in the thousands by now. More and more people were arriving every minute, with some already relaxing on hover chairs that carried them to their destination. Overhead in the digital sky the occasional ad for a BnL product or an event on board floated by. Bill, James, and Eliza were all getting a million ideas a second of what they wanted to do next. As soon as the food was gone, they all began to propose plans.

"I want to go check out the arcade!" said Eliza

"I'm excited to see what kinda stuff they have at the sushi restaurant." Bill mentioned.

"I actually need to go call Tyler!" James suddenly remembered.

Bill and Eliza nodded and James stood up and headed off. He stopped briefly to ask a Steward where he could make an inter-starliner call and was directed to a booth of video phones near the entrance to the Lido Deck. Tyler and his family had been placed on another starliner, the _Alliance_ , so a video call was the only way James would get to see him for the next 5 years.

He made his way over there and sat down in a vacant one. The booth recognized who he was thanks to a passenger ID tag in his BnL jumpsuit and activated automatically.

" _Hello, James Pender! How can I help you?"_ the booth inquired.

"I need to call Tyler Masterson on the BnL Alliance." James stated.

" _Alright! Calling Tyler..."_ the booth responded. After a few moments Tyler appeared on screen.

"Hi! Tyler! It's James!" James exclaimed with a smile.

"James! Hi!" Tyler waved back. "I'm just at the pool right now! I was all confused when this bot came up to me and was like ' _I have a call for Tyler Masterson'_ but I'm glad I answered!"

James laughed. "I'm at the pool right now too! Eliza was sooo excited to get down here we left at like, 7:30 this morning."

Tyler rolled his eyes jokingly. "She really doesn't do anything calmly, does she?"

James shook his head and smiled. "Nope, definitely not! What are you up to today?"

Tyler paused to think for a moment. "I honestly don't know! There's so much to do!"

"Right!? It's crazy. I'm thinking of going to see what kind of movies they're playing at the theatre."

"Oooh that's a good idea! Maybe I'll check it out too!"

A voice from offscreen began to call for Tyler. He turned in the direction of it and nodded. "Okay I've gotta go! My mom wants me for something! I'll call you later, okay?"

James nodded. "Sounds good! Talk soon!"

Tyler waved and blew a kiss, which James caught while laughing at his boyfriend's cliche habits. The screen blinked off and James left the booth and returned to his father and sister.

Eliza was already wanted to move on from the pool and check out the arcade. Bill said he was interested in looking at it as well, so the three of them wandered back towards the people-mover and were whisked away. The rest of their day was filled with (pardon the pun) discovery as they explored the ship.

At the arcade James got involved with an hour long holo-adventure through an ancient tomb discovered buried treasures and fighting mummies. When Bill and Eliza finally convinced him to leave he had already set the highest score in the entire starliner fleet and people were lining up to watch him play.

Eliza discovered she had a knack for virtual golf and managed to beat her dad at two games. Prior to this Bill had been pretty proud of his golf swing, and resorted to signing up for private lessons with a golf bot that would begin next week. He vowed that he would beat her before their 5 years was up.

Bill did get to check out the sushi restaurant for lunch, and was delighted to discover that the rolls were all you can eat. After a hearty lunch of salmon rolls and noodles he elected to return to the cabin for a nap.

James and Eliza spent the next few hours exploring the shopping district of the _Discovery_. Everything on board was on a buy now, pay later system, so the two of them each found some neat things to decorate their cabin rooms with. James found some posters featuring different constellations, and Eliza found a scale model of the solar system that featured a holographic starliner that traced their current position in real time.

The two kids eventually made their way back to the cabin, where they discovered that Bill had ordered in pizza for dinner. Sitting in the living room, they all watched videos on the holo-screen that talked about all of the sights they would be seeing in space. Before they knew it, it was 11 at night and time to go to bed. Another long day of exploring awaited them tomorrow.


	19. Worrisome Years

_April 2, 2107 AD_

The Pender family was enjoying breakfast in their cabin, discussing the results of last night's BnL Men's Singles Tennis Final when the PA chime sounded and Captain Flores appeared on the holo-screen.

" _Good morning everybody! Welcome to day 730 aboard the Discovery! Today is our second anniversary since we departed Earth! As was the case last year, expect a great party tonight on the Lido Deck. If you can't make it down here, we'll have the music going in every dining room across the ship, so be sure to stop in for a dance and a slice of cake!"_

" _As most of you probably remember, today is the day we'll be receiving our latest Operation Cleanup report from Earth! As soon as I hear from Mr. Forthright and team I'll let you all know just how much of that nasty trash has been picked up and thrown out back home. But until then, enjoy your day! We've got yet another great lineup of events today, including the semi finals for the women's doubles tennis competition! Come on down and cheer on your friends! We've also got a great-"_

Captain Flores' attention was drawn away from the camera for a moment, but he quickly regained focus.

" _Well, looks like I'll have to cut this short folks. We've just gotten our report in from HQ so I'll go review that right away and be back soon to let you all know what it said! Have a great rest of your morning!"_

The holo-screen turned off and the family excitedly switched from tennis to the topic of Operation Cleanup.

"I wonder how many million tons they've burned?" James asked. "I know they were supposed to start incinerating soon.

"No I don't think so." Eliza said. "I think they start burning next year."

"Noooo, it was definitely this year." James retorted.

"Nuh uh! It was next year!" Eliza responded angrily.

"Kids, please." Bill interjected, trying to cool the situation before it heated up. "Let's all relax and wait to hear the report."

"Fine." James and Eliza both muttered, slouching down in their seats. Bill turned back to the remainder of his eggs and finished them up just in time for Captain Flores to return.

" _Hello again, everyone! Just got word back from Earth. Sounds like things are still chugging along well! Everything is still set up for us to return in April of 2110, which means we've still got an awesome three years ahead of us to enjoy the wonders the solar system has to offer!"_

Bill, James, and Eliza all moved to the couch in front of the holo-screen. A service bot appeared to clear their breakfast dishes.

" _One small thing, though. Some extra harsh conditions near the coastal regions of the planet caused damage to some fleets of bots, meaning that BnL had to roll out some new, hardier units. It was a bit of a set back, but I've been assured it's nothing major! No need to worry, folks."_

Eliza and James turned to face their father, their faces looking worried. Bill smiled back at them.

"It's fine, guys. Captain Flores says it's nothing major." he assured them, but he could tell Captain Flores was more worried than he was revealing.

" _Alrighty, then. That's all from me for now. I'm going to go send off my own report back home and let you get back to enjoying the sun! Have a wonderful day, everybody."_

The screen blinked off and Bill clapped his hands together, trying to snap the kids out of their worry.

"Well! Let's not sit around here all day! I want to go check out the constellation tour they're doing this morning."

James and Eliza quickly forgot anything worry they had had about Operation Cleanup and eagerly stood up to follow their dad out of the cabin. As the door slid shut behind them, the service bot finished tidying up the table and moved on to vacuuming the floor.


	20. Start of Forever

_April 2, 2110 AD_

The bags were packed and waiting by the cabin door. Bill had been issued a new set of three passes that would be scanned when they disembarked and allow them to reclaim their car when the got back to Earth. Eliza was sitting in the living room watching an ad for the Welcome Home Celebration that was happening later that day, and James had gone out for a swim

Bill was looking through the drawers of each bedroom to make sure no one had forgotten anything when the morning announcements started. Quickly he went back into the living room and sat down next to Eliza.

" _Good morning everyone! And welcome to day 1826 aboard the Discovery! Today is the final day of our five year cruise, as I'm sure you all know! Wow! Can you believe it's already time to head back home? I know these last few years have been a bit worrisome, what with the setbacks the Operation Cleanup team has been facing, but they pulled through and kept us on schedule! How about a round of applause for those working hard back home on Earth?"_

Eliza and Bill joined in with the applause. Captain Flores was right about the worrisome years. For awhile Bill had thought they'd be delayed, but everything had worked out in the end. Looking back he wasn't even sure why he had been worrying; BnL always managed to pull through. Look at the Exodus Space Program!

" _As for the ship's itinerary today, we have another day in orbit around fabulous Neptune. We have our Welcome Home Celebration tonight ship-wide at 1800 hours as well! I hope you're all getting packed up, since first thing tomorrow morning we're heading back to Earth to get you all set up to head back home! From myself and Auto, thank you for a wonderful five years in space. It has been a pleasure commanding this voyage, and I hope we will see you again for another space cruise!"_

The screen shut off. Bill returned to checking the bedroom drawers and Eliza turned the holo-screen back and and started watching a documentary on the hyperjump drive used by the starliners.

The usually soft tone of the alarm seemed a bit harsher in the morning. Perhaps it was because today was the last day the Pender family had on board the _Discovery_. As Bill groggily made his way into the living room, he took note that the bags hadn't been picked up overnight like they were supposed to have been. He'd have to make a call after the morning announcements.

Eliza and James eventually made their way out of their bedroom. James quickly dashed out of the cabin to make one last call to Tyler before the video phones were turned off before the hyperjump back to Earth.

Halfway through the morning weather report (72 degrees and sunny), Captain Flores appeared on the cabin's holo-screen. Bill and Eliza took their usual places on the couch. Something didn't seem quite right about the Captain, Bill thought.

" _Good morning, everybody! Welcome to day 1827 aboard the Discovery. Now, as you all know, today is the day we're scheduled to head back home. But yesterday BnL sent along some new information that has changed our itinerary."_

Bill leaned closer to the screen. This didn't seem good.

" _The air on Earth has gotten a lot more toxic than BnL could have predicted, meaning it's not safe for us to go back just yet. Because of the high levels of pollution it is impossible for BnL to tell when it will be safe to head home, so we have to delay our return until Earth can be confirmed as livable. In order to get that confirmation, the Discovery and other starliners will start sending annual missions to Earth to search for plant life. If we find a plant, it will come back to the ship and we'll head back home! Easy, right?"_

Time slowed down for a moment. Bill sat back on the couch. Earth was _more_ toxic than before? How was that even possible? All of the reports had made it sound like things were going fine, if not great. What would this mean for them and the other passengers on the _Discovery_?

Eliza reached out and took her father's hand. Captain Flores continued.

" _So until then we're going to continue our cruise. BnL apologizes profusely for this inconvenience, and wants to assure you they are doing everything they can to make sure we get home soon. If you need any more information, please speak to a Steward! They're always happy to help. If you need ideas for how to keep busy while we wait to get word that Earth is safe again, check out the ship's itinerary on your in-cabin holo-screen. Thank you for your understanding, and thank you for being loyal BnL customers!"_

In the brief moment before the screen shut off, Captain Flores stared directly at Bill, Eliza, and the hundreds of thousands of others on board. The truth was there in his face; no one, not even BnL, knew what would happen next. The holo-screen went dark.

The door to the cabin slid open, and Bill and Eliza turned to find James. He simply stood there silently for a moment. A single tear was slowly inching down his cheek.

"Tyler says hi."


	21. The Next 89 Years

_2194_

"Okay dad, I'll see you tomorrow!"

Eliza Pender turned to leave her father's cabin. He wasn't doing so great in his old age. 138 was a respectable age to live to, but microgravity hadn't been kind to him. She and her brother had been lucky to board the _Discovery_ before they were 25, as they had adapted to the conditions and even after they had turned 100 they were able to move around without the use of a hoverchair. Bill hadn't been so lucky. He had been stuck in one of those chair for at least two decades, and he hated every minute of it.

As she made her was down the hall, Eliza passed a few children. The only people who had planned to have children on board a starliner were those who were pregnant when they boarded, but when BnL extended their cruises indefinitely in 2110 plans had changed. Eliza had been married for years, but her and her husband Michael had never considered having kids. They decided it wasn't the kind of environment they wanted to raise a child in; one full of recycled air and food in a cup.

Soon she was at her brother's cabin. She pressed the doorbell button and was quickly let inside. James was standing by the large window, staring into space. His cabin was much smaller than hers, due to the fact that he lived alone. For many years after 2110 him and Tyler had maintained contact over video phone, but after awhile the physical distance began to pull them apart and it had been some time since they had exchanged more than an email.

"Hi, Eliza." James said, without turning around.

Eliza walked up the James and put her hand on his shoulder, staring out at the stars with him. "Hey, James. I was wondering if you wanted to go grab a coffee with me? It's been awhile since we've just hung out."

James sighed, looking down at the floor. "Yeah. Yeah that would be good."

Eliza smiled. "Great. Let's go then, shall we?" She began to lead him by the arm to the door.

James shuffled through the cabin with his sister, slowly making their way across the room. They eventually ended up in the hall and began to walk towards the elevator. The cabin door closed behind them, and a service bot in the room began to make the bed and tidy up.

A lot had changed aboard the _Discovery_ in the past decades. A few years after 2110 the ship's supply of real food had run out and the multitude of buffets and dining rooms had started offering synthesized nutrient slurries as a replacement. The drinks tried to replicate various flavours like eggs and bacon or hamburgers, but after a few years of consuming them everything started to taste the same.

For awhile after the cruise extension was announced life on the starliner had been tense. People had no idea how to cope with the fact that they may not ever return to Earth, and the stress and anxiety this caused had resulted in more than a few angry protests. The majority of passengers, however, accepted their fate with little argument. A lifetime of pampering thanks to the luxuries BnL offered them meant the idea of organized resistance against the corporation that had given them everything wasn't something that crossed their minds. By 2120 or so everyone had settled down and life proceeded as normal. At least, as normal as it could be aboard a massive space-faring cruise ship.

Eliza and James meandered through the crowds of hover chairs and passengers on the _Discovery's_ promenade, making their way to the people-mover. Thousands of holo-screens pelted them with advertising for Buy n Large products from beauty supplies to sunglasses. The hundreds of shops on board had steadily been running out of products to sell, thanks to the ongoing "buy now, pay later" promotion that applied to everything available. Some of them were completely empty, but kept their doors open to customers due to the rigid automation of the _Discovery_.

The people-mover pulled into the station and James and Eliza both stepped onto it. The electric light barrier raised up from the ground and the tram accelerated out of the station. In a matter of minutes the pair had left coach class, passed through economy, and arrived in the first class shopping district.

Eliza and James stepped off the people-mover and entered the cafe. All around them passengers young and old floated along on hover chairs, guided by a network of illuminated lines in the floor. As more and more chairs were being used, more and more of the _Discovery's_ polished floors were decorated with these guidance lines. Some areas of the ship had even banned foot traffic since it slowed down the hover chairs.

Eliza order a coffee for her and a tea for James. Quickly a bot delivered them to their table and she began to sip her drink. James left his untouched.

"So, what's new?" Eliza asked, trying to sound enthusiastic.

"Oh you know. I spent some time at the driving range yesterday. Managed to score some bonus points when I hit Pluto." James responded in a bored tone.

"Oh! That's fun!"

James scoffed. "Yeah..."

Eliza frowned. "Well I uh. I got my hair cut yesterday, what do you think?"

James glanced at his sister's head. "PR-T style number F726, right?"

"Uh, yeah." Eliza muttered, her enthusiasm deflating. She had remembered why they didn't get together much anymore. The monotony of life was all too apparent when you tried to make small-talk with anyone.

The two sat in silence for a time, listening to the whirs and whizzes of passing bots and hover chairs. This had been life for the past 89 years. This would most likely be life for the next 89 years and beyond. The updates on plant life had fizzled out after 2125, so no one was in the loop about what was happening back on Earth.

James turned his gaze upwards to the digital clouds floating overhead. Eliza followed suit, and the two were lost in a trance. Neither of them had ever experienced a real blue sky back on Earth, so this digital recreation was the best they had.

Suddenly, a bright red ad for BnL Action Sneakers appeared in the sky, obscuring the view.


	22. A Note from the Author

_Well, this is done! I will admit I haven't proof-read or editing or anything, I just really wanted to get this out of my head and onto the page. This is something that's been brewing for years in my mind as I've obsessed over this movie ever since it came out. My main goal was to wrap up some of the little details I had been thinking of that the movie hadn't gone into. Things like how people got their tickets for the Exodus Space Program, what the starliners were like when they first left Earth, and how people dealt with not being able to return to Earth. I know this could be a lot better if I put the time into editing and revising, and I may do that some day, but for now I'm glad to have freed these ideas from my mind and I hope you enjoy reading them._


End file.
